#constantine review
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One of those films where the atmosphere and setting alone can hold the movie up.
Constantine is a 2005 American superhero horror film directed by Francis Lawrence in his directorial debut. Written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, it is loosely based on DC Comics' Hellblazer comic book. The film stars Keanu Reeves, with Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale, and Peter Stormare.
#constantine#constantine fanart#constantine review#hellblazer#keanu reeves#rachel weisz#shia lebouf#tilda swinton#pruitt taylor vince#djimon hounsou#gavin rossdale#peter stormare#cult hit#supernatural#superhero#horror#movie review#2005
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If you wanna get to know John Constantine but don't know where to start, then this guide is for you! Get all the meat of the story without having to read the filler issue where he remembers turning into a horny werewolf.
I made this zine ages ago but completely forgot to upload it here until I was Hellblazer thirst posting tonight and suddenly remembered.
I had a super fun time putting it together so I hope there are some nerds on here who enjoy it!! Feel free to leave recs as well
(The quiz is serious btw, I wanna know)
#hellblazer#john constantine#dc vertigo#comic review#comic reading list#fan zine#zine#vertigo comics#80s comics#90s comics#2000s comics#horror comics#dc comics
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Review: Zatanna: Bring Down The House #1-5
Overall, I would give this story a 3/10.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
The main strength of the mini series is the incredible art by Javier Rodriguez. Under DC's 'Black Label' imprint, writers are free to reinterpret characters without the burdens of continuity and explore different takes on familiar character. The primary story of this mini however, as written by Mariko Tamaki , left a lot to be desired.
In this universe, a childhood incident involving her accidentally killing another kid with magic lead to Zatanna suppressing her power. Also in this universe, Zatara is not a good father, but a cold neglectful one who also seemingly perishes whilst trying to have Zatanna do real magic.
In this universe, Zatanna lives with her rabbits in a shabby condo, does magic shows for free (which raises questions on how she makes a living) and refuses to utter the word magic. Everything changes however, when Zatanna gets caught up in a war between the casters and the demons. Oh and there is also a talking bunny rabbit. Also, John Constantine is also in the series because of course he is.
The story starts off with an interesting premise but it never builds up on it. Okay, so Zatanna accidentally kills a kid with her magic. What about the other kids present there? Do they know what happened? If so why didn't they tell everyone? What about the kids parents? We see one panel with 'Missing' posters with that kids photos. Did Zatanna ever clear it up with their kids parents?
Then there is Zatara, unlike other versions, this Zatara is cold, distant and neglectful of Zatanna. He teaches her the magic that got the boy killed and nearly gets himself killed while trying to take Zatanna's powers for himself. It begs the question; since regular Zatanna became a stage magician because it was family business and because she loved her Dad, why would she pursue it in this universe if their relationship was not good? What does she get out of it? What makes it worthwhile for her? It also makes you wonder how other characters in this universe (aside from the Casters) perceived Zatara. Did they seem him as a hero without knowing of his dark side? Or did they find him off? We see a brief photo of Zatara's Golden Age nemesis, Tigress which makes you wonder what their relationship might have been like.
There is also the character of Miss Perkins who wants to hire Zatanna to perform at the Millenium Hotel Group. It leads you to wonder why, since this Zatanna has not been shown to be a particularly impressive stage magician. There is also a mention of the Justice League coming to knock on her door, which also makes you wonder, why? Because this Zatanna isn't one known for her feats of heroics. As far as she knew she only cast two spells in her life and they both went haywire, she didn't even known she was casting spells in her sleep until the rabbit told her and they were pretty benign ones. The League appears at the end again to offer her membership but you're left scratching your head again because the big showdown with her Dad happened in her head. So what exactly drew the League to this version of Zatanna?
John Constantine's presence in the story feels unnecessary as well. He didn't provide any exposition that couldn't have been provided by the Rabbit. Feels like he was there because every modern writer these days seems to think every Zatanna story has to have Constantine in it. If the story needed some fanservice then Zee could have hooked up with anyone. About the only positive I could give the scene is that when offered the choice of laying low and going into a fight with little to no control of her powers, Zatanna chooses to instead face her father head on. I like that part but I don't think John needed to be in the story for that to happen.
With the exception of that moment where she decides to confront her father and the actual confrontation itself, Zatanna spends the whole story getting knocked about like a leaf in the wind. A strucutre like that isn't a problem but the story never fills out the details or give us any deeper insight to her character.
Stuff happens because the writer things these beats need to happen in a Zatanna story and not because they make sense according to the plot. Zatanna finds out that her ex was sent to kill her, the same ex who left her one night with a birthday present and never called, the same ex that whisked her away to Paris to save her from a genocide and he only told her because he blurted it out incidentally and she decided to pry it out of him.
This Zatanna grew up afraid and guilty of using magic because it backfired and killed a child her own age as well as her own Dad. She spends her days bouncing from foster home to foster home and becomes a stage magician because......?????. None of it is made clear within the context of a story, she is a stage magician because the character is classically a stage magician. Why she even becomes one in this universe given the baggage she carries is a mystery.
Also, what about her mom? The series gives us the Palace of Casters, the Stranger and the Celestial as the place where Zatara hails from and became their greatest magician. I'm not opposed to giving Zatara a different backstory in an out of continuity title but Sindella already comes from a magical land and is sorcerer herself. Can't help but wonder if the story would have worked better if it had been about Sindella trying to guide her daughter and help her overcome her grief and make peace with her past.
Overall, the mini follows a formula that's become all too trite in recent years: there is a war on magic/magic is dying/some powerful being is devouring magic --> Zatanna's power is not working/not enough or she doesn't get whats happening --> Constantine appears to show how much more smarter and competent he is than Zatanna or any other magical --> they sleep together but it turns out he was lying to her or keeping secrets from her --> Zatanna is mad (usually) but eventually gets her mojo back and confronts the threat and beats it easily.
Rinse and repeat since the Nu 52 reboot in 2011. When Dini wrote the Zatanna ongoing in 2010, the main problem was not having villains that could match up to her power. Now the problem is writers not wanting her to be good at or competent character at all.
Coming back to full circle, the main highlight of the mini is the art by Javier Rodriguez; the sequence where Zatanna is running and a shadow is chasing her was eerie and well done. The dream like sequences of her speaking to her Dad were very well composed with some great colour choices. The action sequences from the theater to the Caster's palace to the one in Zatanna's mind felt appropriately cinematic. You can feel that something big was happening. The artwork was lush and the panel layouts were very creative. In my opinion, the best sequence was the climax with Zatanna confronting her Dad. The final panel with her blowing his dusty remains away was >chefs kiss< .
But ultimately the story itself needed to be better fleshed out.
This mini didn't quite meet my expectations. Lets hope the next one by Jamal Cambell is better.
#zatanna#zatanna zatara#zatanna bring down the house#reviews#john zatara#john giovanni zatara#javier rodriguez#mariko tamaki#john constantine#justice league
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Artists by David Levine, for The New York Review of Books, 1964-1988
#art#david levine#pablo picasso#edward hopper#henri matisse#edvard munch#alberto giacometti#mies van der rohe#marcel duchamp#willem de kooning#paul klee#mark rothko#gustav klimt#wassily kandinsky#john singer sargent#walter gropius#constantin brâncuși#lyonel feininger#william blake#henry moore#andy warhol#claes oldenburg#jean arp#andrew wyeth#the new york review of books#vintage#...
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SWAMP THING #69-75
FEB - AUG 1988 By Rick Veitch , Brett Ewins, Alfredo Alcala, Tatjana Wood, John Costanza, Dave McKean, Tom Yeates, John Totleben, and Mike Kaluta.
After refusing to destroy his successor, Swamp Thing accidentally puts his world at risk. Now with the help of John Constantine, he will need to find a new soul for the sprout, and finally retire to live with Abby.
SCORE: 9
The only thing stopping this review from being a 10 is the very complex lore that is starting to make the book very dense. Especially if you come back to the back after a long break. And it's not just the lore, it's also how long these stories are running.
In any case, reading these issues was very refreshing. It was back when stories, no matter how serialized they were, still had a good sense of pacing. And Rick Veitch made sure to give you something back for your money every month.
To me the best episode of this batch was the one with the plane accidents. Looking for a successor for Swampy, John Constantine does all kinds of risky things, just to be able to single out a person who was about to die who was somewhat related to Alec Holland.
But this Gary Holland immediately realizes he is about to die, and every single moment of his last day is plagues with bad omens. Still, John has no other choice but to get in the plane that was about to crash, just to save the world. John survives the plane crash, but then find out that Swampy found the souls of the plane crash and helped move on to the afterlife (he was unaware of John's plan). It was so dark and funny, that it really reminded me of Vertigo comics (or perhaps the average Alan Grant story).
The next episode had also a very creative narrative device. With the panel orientation being taken over by the line of captions, making every page with the character, technically a maze.
These are all very thought-provoking stories with a lot of poetry in the art itself.
But I have to repeat myself here. The great moments were possible thanks to the super long arc, which doesn't even end with issue #75. However, I felt it was the right time to finish the binge. I already knew that Abby was going to try to be a mother, so it didn't come as a surprise.
And here's another thing that's going to make this story even longer. It will crossover with Hellblazer. And I am not sure how much it will matter for the book, but Invasion will also tie in with this book.
Nevertheless, I'll take that small flaw (same problem the Legion books always have), in favor of stories like these.
#comics#review#modern age#dc comics#1988#rick veitch#dave mckean#tom yeates#john totleben#mike kaluta#swamp thing#john constantine
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I’m crying over DCeased yall, this got me fucked up. Spoilers under the cut 💔💔💔
ALFRED!!!!! ALFRED!!!!!!
Ok so I was already crying at the beginning cause my lovers the Bats are already mostly down w Dick (bf), Bruce, and Tim but then JASON and then now u got me on ALFRED???? Not even to forget my lover Cass she’s so fucking cool I love her like the panel of her talking abt how now that Lady Shiva is gone SHE is the best???? YESSSSSSS!!!!! Tbf she’s been the best to me always. Do NOT get me fucking started about Steph……..
Alfred not dead but the panel where he turns into Spector (I think?) got me crying bro tears in my eyes as I type this shit out like I normally don’t fw apocalyptic endings bc I get depressed I HATE INJUSTICE WITH EVERYTHING IN MY SOUL but like this was so well done bc of the sheer hope you get from the cure and all that stuff
Bro and also Lobo???? I was not familiar with his game tbh but he solos HEAVYYYYYY like imma need to get in on whatever he has going on if its this fire
Also Dames in the white Batman suit is cracking me UPPPP like yes he’s eating but girl it look sooooo funky from what’s usually in my head, I think he looks great though cause highkey the old suit also made me chuckle a bit at him. Speaking of dames he’s highkey a little short and that also makes me laugh
BUT THE END !!! OMG IM CRYINGGGGGG !!! DAMIAN!!!! DAMES!!!!! I’m in shambles but it was such a beautiful end. Poor Alfred brah he just get loss after loss in this
I think it’s so great how they tied the beginning to the end with what Green Arrow said to Damian and Damian saving everything is such a sad and satisfying ending
It makes me laugh tho that the bats are always at the center of everything in comics LOL. Here’s a picture of what Damian made at the end, super cute.
#dc comics#DCeased#Alfred#batman#damian wayne#lobo?#I also loved Black Canary in this#Too much love for everyone tbh#JOHN CONSTANTINE#I forgot about him but he did so good#love him#also Zatanna#too much went on for me to say all what I feel#this is just me talking about the ending#towards the ending I mean#if I did a full review it’d be too much
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Heya poozers, it's time fer Kilowog's pick a' the week! This is where I pick the best comic I read this week and give ya' a non-spoiler review of it. Keep in mind I really only read DC comics. I want to read more, but I ain't got the time. This week was another tough one, because Batman's arc finale was amazin' and actually made me love Batman, which ain't easy ta' do, but ultimately I had ta' go a different direction.
Kilowog's Pick: John Constantine: Hellblazer: Dead in America Vol. 1 #6 by Simon Spurrier, Aaron Campbell, Jordie Bellaire, Steve Wands, Matthew Levine, and Chris Conroy.
This whole series has been fantastic, with Simon Spurrier showin' he can write horror an' Aaron Campbell showin' he can illustrate it, but this issue really took the cake fer me.
They play around with metacommentary an' fourth wall breakin'. That's something we see all the time from people like Deadpool an' Harley Quinn, or from writers like Alan Moore an' Grant Morrison, but when they do it it's makin' big serious points, or else bein' silly an' goofy.
This is about horror. It's a horror comic. A twisted tale a' obsession with story an' obsession with makin' story perfect, the madness of bein' able ta' change things narratively, an' some fantastic art that takes full advantage of the comics medium to show the fourth-wall-breakin' an' reality-warpin' powers at play.
Yeah, any time there's a fourth wall break comic it's kinda whimsical, but whimsy can turn ta' horror easily under the hand of a good writer, an' Simon Spurrier is a good writer.
The issue ties in with the larger plot of this series, but the metacommentary stands alone an' I think it'd be enjoyable even fer people who ain't readin' the rest of it.
An that's my pick a' the week!
#Comic Review#Comics#Comic Books#DC Comics#New Comic Book Day#John Constantine#Hellblazer#Dead In America#Comic Recommendation#There's also some fun jabs at toxic fan types and the poor quality creators who cater to them but that's not the main point
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Gimme Back my Bullet | SDCC News
The day after our momentous Deadpool and Wolverine Review, Dave took sick with a cold. He's still not over it, but we had to talk about SDCC and the things going on at DC Studios!
DC Studios
New DCU Logo Officially Revealed
Jim Lee Shares Official Animation for Gunn & Safran's DC Studios
Batman: Caped Crusader
Caped Crusader Season 1 Has Dropped
Thoughts on Minnie Driver's Penguin
40s Fleischer Lois Easter Egg
The Batman Epic Crime Saga
Reeves Calls His Universe "The Batman Epic Crime Saga"
Farrell's Penguin Inspirations
Cristin Milioti's Preparation for Sophia
Victor to Be Robin to Penguin's Batman
The Penguin Sets Up The Batman Sequel
"Another Television Exploration" Coming After The Penguin
Why Arkham Asylum and Gotham PD Spin-Offs Were Cancelled
The Penguin Official Trailer
The Batman 2: Colin Farrell's Penguin Confirmed
Joker: Folie à Deux
Big Changes to Harley and Joker
Joker: Folie a Deux Is "Daring," "Darker" and "Completely Different" From the First Film
New Joker: Folie à Deux Trailer Released
Superman & Lois
Superman & Lois Season 4 is set to release Oct. 17, 2024
New Season 4 Trailer
New Sneak Peak Shows Doomsday Fight
Who is Tom Cavanaugh Playing?
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn Returning Sometimes in November!
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos Teaser Trailer Released by DC Studios
Superman
Superman Skipped SDCC 2024 Because It's "Too Soon" to Show Anything
The Film Has Wrapped Now as Well
Peacemaker Season 2
Peacemaker Season 2 Reveals Surprising Return, New Director
My Adventures With Superman
New Designs and Characters from My Adventures with Superman
Constantine 2
Constantine Producer Reveals Major Update on Sequel
Batman Forever: The Schumacher Cut
Batman Forever Writer Still Hoping for Release of Schumacher Cut
Marvel/DC
Kevin Feige Comments on Marvel/DC Crossover: "Never Say Never"
Join Our Riotous DC Debauch!
Site: https://dconscreen.com
Store: https://bit.ly/DCoStore
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Apple: http://bit.ly/DCoSReview
Spotify: http://bit.ly/DCSCREEN
Spreaker: https://bit.ly/DCoSSpreaker
#DC Studios#DC Bullet#Batman Caped Crusader#Minnie Driver#The Penguin#the batman part 2#The Batman Epic Crime Saga#Batman Forever#Marvel/DC#Constantine 2#sdcc2024#podcast#dc comics#dc on screen#superman#batman#the flash#review#wonder woman#supergirl#justice league#sdcc24#sdcc#comic con 2024#comic con#Peacemaker#Harley Quinn#My Adventures with Superman#Superboy#kon el kent
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Constantine (2005)
Constantine comes from the era of comic book film adaptation when we were just happy to get ANYTHING. This allowed writers, directors and executives to do whatever they wanted to make the stories and characters more accessible and bankable without mobs coming to their doors with pitchforks and torches. Unfortunately, this often resulted in generic, forgettable films. The less familiar you are with the Hellblazer comics, the more likely you are to appreciate this less-than-faithful take on the character. I enjoyed it just enough to give it a mild recommendation while hoping a better adaptation will someday leave this one in the dust.
In LA, cynical occultist John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is surprised to find a demon attempting to enter our world through its possessed host, rather than simply puppeteering her the way demons usually do. Meanwhile, Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) is shocked when her twin sister, Isabel, commits suicide. Isabel knew this mortal sin would condemn her to Hell, which prompts Angela to suspect she was actually murdered. These strange events are somehow linked to a strange spearhead discovered in a ruined church in Mexico that possesses a man (Jesse Ramirez) while granting him near-invincibility.
With his American accent and black hair, this Constantine feels a lot more like a traditional cynical hero than the blonde from Liverpool you'll find in the pages of DC/Vertigo's comics. There are worse things your movie could do, but it doesn’t help make the story memorable. There's got a mystery that leads to a big threat, which is a good spine to build your skeleton upon. We’re introduced to several rules about the world. Turns out that God and the Devil (Peter Stormare) are competing for mankind’s souls and that neither demons nor angels can directly interfere; they only “influence” people. “Half-breed” angels and demons can walk around doing what they want, however, and when they go too far, Constantine puts them back in their place. He’s doing this to win himself a spot in Heaven. Our favorite exorcist has terminal lung cancer - that’s what you get for smoking non-stop. Maybe this case will be the one to get him his golden ticket. I dunno. Doesn’t it feel like more could be done with this? When you boil it down, Constantine isn’t much deeper than End of Days with Arnold Schwarzenegger and is that really where we want to be?
It’s the details of the world that wind up interesting us in the end. The visions of Hell we see are unique. It’s like a perpetual nuclear sandstorm ripping apart a parallel Earth, with damned souls squirming in agony below while demons prowl about. Getting there requires you to perform simple but convincing-looking rituals, which is one of the standout moments. Rachel Weisz and Keanu Reeves have some pretty good chemistry, even if it would be a cliché for her to fall for a man who didn’t even hold the elevator door open for her the first time they met. Pruitt Taylor Vince as Father Hennessy has an inventive encounter with a demon. Shia LaBeouf plays Chas Kramer, Constantine’s driver and apprentice but he’s gone for such large chunks of the movie you wonder why he was even included. Tilda Swinton has a memorable but small role as the Archangel Gabriel. At this point, I feel like I’m just going through a list of things about the movie, which anyone could do… but maybe that’s all there is to say. How does the movie make you feel? Excited while Constantine is shooting demons with his cross-shaped gun or punching them with holy brass knuckles, I guess. Intrigued when we’re piecing together the clues behind Isabel’s death, I guess. Not exactly a rousing endorsement but the film is not boring. It moves, you want to see what’s coming next and once it’s over, it’s out of your mind. Could it be that I’m nostalgic for Constantine? I do remember seeing it when it was released on DVD. In fact, I specifically remember buying it. I went to HMV looking for V for Vendetta. This was going to mark my official transition from VHS to discs and when I got to the store, I saw they had an exclusive 2-pack that included Constantine for free. Maybe that’s what's tipping me over the scale; the fact that I didn’t have to pay anything to see this film. If you decide to check it out, stay all the way to the end of the credits for a bonus scene. (August 16, 2022)
#Constantine#movies#films#movie reviews#film reviews#comic book movies#comic book films#hellblazer#Francis Lawrence#Kevin Brodbin#Frank Cappello#Keanu Reeves#Rachel Weisz#Shia LaBoeuf#Tild Swinton#Pruitt Taylor Vince#Djimon Hounsou#Gavin Rossdale#Peter Stormare#2005 movies#2005 films
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I need one of those fic where instead of Peter Parker getting thrown into the DCU verse, I need Stiles from teen wolf. He’s smart enough to get by, unlucky enough to be kidnapped, adopt-napped. My guy is ending up on someone’s radar guaranteed and it would be even funnier if Constantine was just freaking out cause “That’s.. a spark, why/how/when the heck did that happen!?” And like Stiles is still probably doing the whole snooping into the supernatural, and everything here too on purpose or maybe it’s just his luck rearing it nasty head.
Imagine Jason teaches him how to summon the all-Blades, or Constantine teaches him magic before sending him home.
IF he had a home left to go back too. (Summoning the angst)
#dcu#teen wolf#fanfic#Constantine have numerous break downs#Batman is suspicious but also lowkey wants to adopt#Jason thinks stiles is a more kid friendly version of Tim#stiles likes Jason cause Crime lord and also the avenger thing#Tim thinks stiles is normal#Tim that’s why your not allowed to review psych evaluations#Stiles casually uncovers plots and conspiracies like Tim would drink coffee
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Do you have any opinions on modern day John's music tastes? I'm usually annoyed when they don't update them from the original time period. Like, sex pistols? Rly?
lmfao I actually think it makes sense, at his core John is a white english boy, ofc he'd be into the 'classics' of a genre* (and the Sex Pistols/Ramones era really IS the start of the punk genre) before being willing to explore anything more modern/of his own time period. like i would also believe him as a music snob who prefers vinyl to CD/digital music (i'm more 🙄 on him using the ipod in the Constantine show, for instance, but I also think it's implied Chas maybe have both brought and put it together for him).
of course i think comics hellblazer canon is that he's into the pistols' bc he was at that classic 1976 show in Manchester (I may have just made this up, it may just be *my* headcanon), modern john's backstory would probably be that he was a pretentious little weirdo rebelling against what would've been the most in opposition to pop music in the early 90s, got into local punk music, and then went looking for whatever ~the classics were. like i think he'd likely be a fan of local music/more modern punk as well but being a baseline Pistols' fanboy makes sense to me.
*also have to point out the most obnoxious show!john thing which is when he complains about reggae music when it's so closely tied to the history of punk. like, specifically with Johnny Rotten even. Bizarre writing choice imo, either the writers of the show didn't know that or they did and were making a real statement about John's white englishman blindspots of not knowing/respecting POC history & influence on stuff he likes [which is also supported by him being such a snob about the folk magic in the infamous mexico city episodes of the show, and the "magpie of magic" comment from Papa Midnite.] given his background i don't think it's shocking that john constantine is terrible re: intersectionality but it's worth remembering as one of his flaws (though: i think he's actually better about it in the comics).
#john constantine#hellblazer#(standard disclaimer that i am not an expert in punk music esp the more modern bands)#most of what i know is based on an episode of Stuff You Should Know & how it intersects with the history of The Smiths#which is really the most embarrassing part of this for me#[morrissey was at the 1976 manchester show and wrote a review]
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Quick Recs! - Birds of Prey #1 - 3
Featuring a team-up of Black Canary, Batgirl, Big Barda, Harley Quinn, and Zealot, Birds of Prey issues #1 - 3 are an absolute blast.
Having come into these books with little-to-no knowledge of most of the cast, I can assure you that no prior knowledge is necessary to enjoy this run. Every member of the team is charismatic, the writing is a joy to read, and the mission - Black Canary trying to save her adopted sister from the Amazons - is easy to jump into.
The art in these books is fantastic and offers a very classic feel. Alongside the vibrant and bombastic colors, some of the page and panel layouts are just an absolute joy to look at.
At the end of the day, Birds of Prey issues #1 - 3 present readers with a bunch of gals being pals and kicking butt. What more could you really need?
(P.S. There's also a little cameo from Constantine - who I love - so that's a plus!)
#comic books#comics#dc comics#birds of prey#harley quinn#black canary#big barda#zealot#batgirl#cassandra cain#john constantine#super hero#superheroes#comic review#comic recommendations
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What I Read: Sandman Universe Presents John Constantine Hellblazer: Dead in America
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VIDEO ESSAY ROUNDUP #6 [PART 2]
[originally posted august 1st 2024 NOTE: while migrating the archive from cohost i've discovered that tumblr has a 10 link-block limit, which means i have to split some of these roundups up in order to maintain the embeds. we love websites don't we folks]
"New Zelda isn't Zelda" by Eroymak.
youtube
it's novel to see one of these shot in the mountains! vibes like a younger, ganglier nakeyjakey. i like to imagine that there's an escalating war of spectacle happening between white outdoorsy middle-class nerds all trying to one-up each other by casually filming an otherwise anodyne video essay in increasingly precarious locales. how long until a 22 year old DJ from Wisconsin dies on the slopes of Everest trying to film an essay about Mario 1-1? who's going to be the first human being to levy a citation-heavy critique of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead while skydiving? how long until Shiey accidentally loses Jacob Geller down an abandoned mine shaft? anyway, Eroymak is extremely correct here about what makes modern Zelda games a drag, namely that their "go anywhere do anything" attitude ruins the sense of progression that once defined the franchise. i worry about this with the upcoming Echoes of Wisdom, which seems to be applying the Of The games' open toolset philosophy to the 2D Zelda template, but i digress. for being only 7 minutes and 20 seconds, this is a pretty succinct and broadly comprehensive summation of why the open world Zeldas lack a certain magic that was once so easily flaunted by their forebears.
"so that's why they cut all her scenes from the movie" by CinemaStix.
youtube
i've seen CinemaStix videos in my recommended feed multiple times and avoided them like the plague. i mean, come on. "CinemaStix"? at a glance this conjures a monstrous Third-Way chimera betwixt CinemaSins and CinemaWins, and i would sooner stave my own head in with a rock than give such a thing the time of day. EXCEPT… Constantine 2005 is one of my favorite comic book movies. i saw it in theaters and it changed me. in the years since, i've defended Constantine's honor from the haters to little avail (thankfully the tides have turned in recent years and people are realizing that they totally missed the second-best John Wick movie), and it's top of my list of fun movies to show guests when we're bored. this special interest overrode my kneejerk book-cover judgment survival mechanism, and i'm so mad that i don't regret it. this video is about the editing of Constantine 2005, and how many of the film's iconic moments were constructed in post. as the title suggests, a substantial amount of time is spent trying to understand why an entire character was ultimately cut, a question that's also plagued me ever since watching the deleted scenes on the DVD in 10th grade. whether you've seen Constantine 2005 or not, this is an excellent portrait of editing as a substantive authorial process. i've since gone and watched multiple CinemaStix videos, and god damn it, these are some quality essays. sometimes popular things are good, she said grumpily.
"Conservative Comedy Ruined My Life" by Big Joel.
youtube
oops, can you tell this vidrev roundup has been sitting in my drafts for a long time? this video came out on April 2nd of 2024 and has nearly 2.5 million views, so i won't belabor the point. this is a great deconstruction of conservative comedy that looks hard into why so much of it sucks beyond the empty platitudes endemic to smarmy liberals. it's some of Big Joel's best work in my opinion.
"On Online Entitlement" by CJ The X.
youtube
an excellent autopsy of the rhetorical implications of an overly familiar instagram comment-- a description that i know probably sounds obnoxious, but genuinely is not the case. Mx. The X goes to great lengths to assure us that this is not about the person who left the comment, but the various attitudes and assumptions that are implied in its construction. gen z essayists in particular seem to specialize in this sort of editorial post-game breakdown of the things people say when they think they're saying something else, and i think they're always worth paying attention to. consider this something of a downstream epilogue to Shannon Strucci's seminal Fake Friends series. even as i don't always agree with the totality of their conclusions, i do always come away from CJ The X videos feeling like i've learned something about how i and other internet-dwelling social animals think.
"How Uber Is Destroying Food Delivery" by More Perfect Union.
youtube
More Perfect Union is not typically in the business of video essays, focusing more on feature stories that heavily rely on interviews and on-the-ground reporting. this one's a unique development in that it is just straight up a video essay, using the business model of Uber as an avenue for understanding Corey Doctorow's theory of platform decay (except he calls it Enshittification because god forbid 21st century materialist philosophy grow out of its twee blogosphere adolescence). if you know the theory then there's probably not gonna be much here that surprises you, but i felt it a notable inclusion nevertheless.
do you have recommendations for video essays i might not have seen, new or old? well my askbox is open and i'm always looking for ways to penetrate my experiential-algorithmic youtube bubble. hope you found something enjoyable in this collection, see you in the next one!
<- ROUNDUP #5
#vidrev#video essay#video essay review#video recommendation#zelda#eroymak#cinemastix#constantine 2005#big joel#conservative comedy#cj the x#more perfect union#Youtube
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Happy 60th Birthday to actor Keanu Reeves! ^__^
#geek#film#blog#happy birthday#actor#pop culture icon#keanu reeves#bill and ted#the matrix#john wick#john constantine#point break#dracula#the devils advocate#speed#shadow the hedgehog#sonic the hedgehog 3#my own private idaho#geek with cllip ons#i review stuff#irs#1980s cinema#1990s cinema#cyberpunk 2077#johnny mnemonic#johnny silverhand
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