This may be post-Avengers fever talking, but Marvel Comics' Avengers: Age of Ultron #.1 is the perfect Free Comic Book Day offering. First of all, based on the criteria I established in my last review, this comic is a complete issue, like any you could pick up off the stands. It isn't a stand alone story, though; it's the beginning of another Avengers adventure, one that has Tony Stark quaking in his iron boots. For casual readers of the Avengers (like me), or a newbie to comics fresh from the movie, what better way to hook 'em then by striking fear in who we've perceived as a fearless hero?
Marvel also presents some of its top talent in this free funnybook, with Brian Michael Bendis behind the words, and Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary behind the pictures. Again, I'm only a casual fan of these artists, but Bendis sets a motley stage, with Avengers of all types in attendence, introducing new readers to characters they wouldn't have seen in the film. Further, Bendis creates a very poignant problem and offers a multi-faceted way to solve it, with a slew of macabre villains along the way. Hitch and Neary volley superhero adventure and espionage very well, and while the characters' grimaces are very realistic, weirdos like M.O.D.O.K. look appropriately -- well, weird.
Perhaps this is what struck me most about this issue: it's a classic superhero team versus a classic super-villain team, mirroring each other in opposite objectives on the same spectrum. Despite the contemporary context, this issue seemed very old-fashioned (another term Avengers movie fans might remember), yet without shoving nostalgia down out throats. Here, we can have a horde of bad guys working together, and they don't operate under a name like "The Secret Society of Ne'er-Do-Wells." They're just there, in a cave, almost like a terror cell, doing something that could cause great harm to the world, for their own selfish gains. Then, superheroes try to stop them. This is the genre. For a moment in this issue, Steve Rogers (formerly Captain America) is tempted to think it's more complicated than that, as covert groups come to light, but in the end everyone just works together.
And that's the pleasant thing about this issue. Everything works together, with a satisfying ending that leaves just enough dangling to keep us coming back for more. The unspoken thesis of Free Comic Book Day is this: "Here is something for free. Is it good enough to make you come back next week and PAY for it?" In this case, I say, "Absolutely." Avengers readers, assemble!
Showing posts with label Iron Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iron Man. Show all posts
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Phoenix Comic Con Coverage: Stan Lee Reveals, "I'm My Biggest Fan!"
Stan Lee had a busy weekend.
Stan Lee's Rock'n Comic Con is Pasadena, California launched last weekend, but that didn't stop Stan "the Man" from visiting the Phoenix Comicon, as well, where he answered questions for a ballroom of thousands of fans. Among the usual questions about how his characters were created, Lee answered inquiries about breaking into the industry, Disney's purchase of Marvel, and which of the numerous comics he's written is his favorite.
"I honestly don't know how to break into comics as a writer nowadays," he confessed. While artists can show editors their portfolio at conventions, he explained, writers just have pages of text. "If you want to write for comics today, get something else published first," Lee recommended, commenting on novelists and screenwriters becoming comic book writers, too. Regarding Disney's acquisition of Marvel, Lee said, "No company is better at marketing than Disney . . . and no company tells better stories than Marvel . . . It's a perfect marriage."
When a fan thanked Stan for helping him overcome his autism, Lee replied humbly, "I never took it that far. I created a blind superhero, and a superhero with a heart problem . . . but I'm going to take this back to the guys at the office and see what we can do!"
Finally, when asked of his favorite personal work, he said, "Fans ask me this all the time, and sometimes I say, the issue of Daredevil where he has to protect a blind cop, I'm really proud of that one . . . Then I think, oh, the coming of Galactus in the Fantastic Four was a really good one . . . and the truth is, I'm my own biggest fan! I like everything I've done!"
Stan Lee's Rock'n Comic Con is Pasadena, California launched last weekend, but that didn't stop Stan "the Man" from visiting the Phoenix Comicon, as well, where he answered questions for a ballroom of thousands of fans. Among the usual questions about how his characters were created, Lee answered inquiries about breaking into the industry, Disney's purchase of Marvel, and which of the numerous comics he's written is his favorite.
"I honestly don't know how to break into comics as a writer nowadays," he confessed. While artists can show editors their portfolio at conventions, he explained, writers just have pages of text. "If you want to write for comics today, get something else published first," Lee recommended, commenting on novelists and screenwriters becoming comic book writers, too. Regarding Disney's acquisition of Marvel, Lee said, "No company is better at marketing than Disney . . . and no company tells better stories than Marvel . . . It's a perfect marriage."
When a fan thanked Stan for helping him overcome his autism, Lee replied humbly, "I never took it that far. I created a blind superhero, and a superhero with a heart problem . . . but I'm going to take this back to the guys at the office and see what we can do!"
Finally, when asked of his favorite personal work, he said, "Fans ask me this all the time, and sometimes I say, the issue of Daredevil where he has to protect a blind cop, I'm really proud of that one . . . Then I think, oh, the coming of Galactus in the Fantastic Four was a really good one . . . and the truth is, I'm my own biggest fan! I like everything I've done!"
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Free Comic Book Day 2010: Iron Man: Supernova
Free Comic Book Day Iron Man: Supernova
by Paul Tobin, Craig Rousseau, Veronica Gandini, Dave Sharpe
Iron Man: Supernova, Marvel Comics' all-ages Free Comic Book Day offering, starts with a side-by-side series of panels contrasting the respective starts of Iron Man's and Nova's day -- specifically, Tony Stark's luxury versus Richard Rider's dorm room squalor. The dynamic is fun and interesting, with the implication that despite the differences in their personal lives good guys will always have a quest for justice in common. Well, unfortunately, the implication ends there as our heroes don't pursue justice but the Red Ghost's villainous monkeys loose in the city. Aided by another, shape-shifting chimp, of course Iron Man and Nova save the day, but it's a strange story, and not in the classic "DC Superheroes Fight Super Gorillas" kind of way -- just in a "monkeys are awesome so let's put 'em in a comic for kids" way.
If the point of including Nova was to introduce him to new readers, I don't think they'd be interested, because he contributes little to the story aside from a few quips and a little inadequacy, something Spider-man could've easily delivered, too. Nevertheless, I won't be surprised if a New Warriors cartoon is on the horizon now -- a property that could contend with DC's forthcoming new Teen Titans 'toon. Otherwise, this issue was only monkeying around.
Finally, as expected, Iron Man 2 dominated the box office this weekend. I'd hoped it would beat The Dark Knight's record, but I guess The Avengers need something to assemble for . . .
by Paul Tobin, Craig Rousseau, Veronica Gandini, Dave Sharpe
Iron Man: Supernova, Marvel Comics' all-ages Free Comic Book Day offering, starts with a side-by-side series of panels contrasting the respective starts of Iron Man's and Nova's day -- specifically, Tony Stark's luxury versus Richard Rider's dorm room squalor. The dynamic is fun and interesting, with the implication that despite the differences in their personal lives good guys will always have a quest for justice in common. Well, unfortunately, the implication ends there as our heroes don't pursue justice but the Red Ghost's villainous monkeys loose in the city. Aided by another, shape-shifting chimp, of course Iron Man and Nova save the day, but it's a strange story, and not in the classic "DC Superheroes Fight Super Gorillas" kind of way -- just in a "monkeys are awesome so let's put 'em in a comic for kids" way.
If the point of including Nova was to introduce him to new readers, I don't think they'd be interested, because he contributes little to the story aside from a few quips and a little inadequacy, something Spider-man could've easily delivered, too. Nevertheless, I won't be surprised if a New Warriors cartoon is on the horizon now -- a property that could contend with DC's forthcoming new Teen Titans 'toon. Otherwise, this issue was only monkeying around.
Finally, as expected, Iron Man 2 dominated the box office this weekend. I'd hoped it would beat The Dark Knight's record, but I guess The Avengers need something to assemble for . . .
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Free Comic Book Day 2010: Iron Man/Thor
Free Comic Book Day Iron Man/Thor #1, Marvel Comics
by Matt Fraction, John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, Dean White, VC's Joe Sabino, Alejandro Arbona
I'm going to celebrate this weekend's release of Iron Man 2 by looking at Marvel Comics' Iron Man-centric Free Comic Book Day offerings. Interestingly, Marvel released two issues featuring the armored avenger this year, teamed up with another character undoubtedly to prime the general audience for their inevitable cinematic debut. This issue, for instance, costars Thor, as he and Iron Man discover that a corporation terraforming the moon is inadvertently causing climatic havoc on earth. Of course, the scientists are a bit too mad to see the error of their ways, so our heroes have to smash things up. That the tech used to make this moon city possible is cribbed from Stark Enterprises makes for an interesting dilemma with Iron Man, but it also gives him the right to bash up an apparently otherwise sovereign nation. So goes politico-innovation.
Matt Fraction writes our heroes in a way that presumes they aren't very familiar with each other -- that they aren't longtime team mates. If they weren't actually called "the Avengers" at one point, I'd think this issue was intended for the movies' continuity -- and maybe it is, just in a broader context. As a reader that avoids multi-title crossovers like the recent Civil War, I appreciate these stand-alone tales; they preserve the characters' spirit sans context. Also, we get to explore issues without fear of said context; a rogue city on the moon could be a big deal in the Marvel Universe, but this is just a Free Comic Book Day one-off, so we can put it out there without really worrying about it again. Finally, Romita just absolutely nails it as always; if he isn't a millionaire by now, handling some of Marvel's most successful properties, it's a crime.
While I was waiting in line to see the Iron Man sequel Thursday night, I read this issue, and a little kid nearby asked to see it. He asked me who Thor was, and as I briefly explained, I realized this issue had done its job. Now, when the Thor movie comes out next summer, he'll at least recognize the character. You can't buy that kind of marketing . . . and I didn't! The comic was free!
by Matt Fraction, John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, Dean White, VC's Joe Sabino, Alejandro Arbona
I'm going to celebrate this weekend's release of Iron Man 2 by looking at Marvel Comics' Iron Man-centric Free Comic Book Day offerings. Interestingly, Marvel released two issues featuring the armored avenger this year, teamed up with another character undoubtedly to prime the general audience for their inevitable cinematic debut. This issue, for instance, costars Thor, as he and Iron Man discover that a corporation terraforming the moon is inadvertently causing climatic havoc on earth. Of course, the scientists are a bit too mad to see the error of their ways, so our heroes have to smash things up. That the tech used to make this moon city possible is cribbed from Stark Enterprises makes for an interesting dilemma with Iron Man, but it also gives him the right to bash up an apparently otherwise sovereign nation. So goes politico-innovation.
Matt Fraction writes our heroes in a way that presumes they aren't very familiar with each other -- that they aren't longtime team mates. If they weren't actually called "the Avengers" at one point, I'd think this issue was intended for the movies' continuity -- and maybe it is, just in a broader context. As a reader that avoids multi-title crossovers like the recent Civil War, I appreciate these stand-alone tales; they preserve the characters' spirit sans context. Also, we get to explore issues without fear of said context; a rogue city on the moon could be a big deal in the Marvel Universe, but this is just a Free Comic Book Day one-off, so we can put it out there without really worrying about it again. Finally, Romita just absolutely nails it as always; if he isn't a millionaire by now, handling some of Marvel's most successful properties, it's a crime.
While I was waiting in line to see the Iron Man sequel Thursday night, I read this issue, and a little kid nearby asked to see it. He asked me who Thor was, and as I briefly explained, I realized this issue had done its job. Now, when the Thor movie comes out next summer, he'll at least recognize the character. You can't buy that kind of marketing . . . and I didn't! The comic was free!
Friday, May 07, 2010
Movie Review: Iron Man 2 (Warning: Spoilerish!)
In the opening act of Iron Man 2, our hero is on top of the world -- literally, as he leaps from a plane, rockets around exploding fireworks, and lands on stage at the Stark Expo amidst dancing cheerleaders and a roaring, adoring crowd of thousands. With his characteristic arrogance, Tony Stark takes credit for world peace, both before his fans and the Senate, and the scary part is, he may be right. In his quiet moments alone, though, either backstage or at the bathroom mirror, Stark is still a man divided between his roots and his destiny, and more so than any battle between armored avengers, this is the driving conflict behind the fun, cinematic masterpiece that is Iron Man 2.
Of course, I use the term "masterpiece" loosely. This isn't Hamlet, or Pride & Prejudice or even (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) -- it's a movie based on a comic book about a guy in a cool robot suit, but like the first Iron Man film, Jon Favereau puts some heart in this summer blockbuster . . . by having his lead character take out and put in his own fake heart, over and over again. Apparently, the ARC technology Tony utilized to save his life is now also a techno-cancer, killing him slowly unless he finds an alternative power source. Meanwhile, the son of his father's former, dishonored partner has recreated the ARC tech and aims to dethrone Stark, first on his own then with the resources of competitive corporate tycoon Justin Hammer. It's a multi-layered plot incorporating espionage, legacy, and redemption, not to mention good old fashioned comic book good guys versus bad guys stuff.
However, I dare say the movie drags in the middle, exploiting the subtleties that made the first Iron Man film a truly stirring character piece. Stark's morality is still in question, jeopardized now by his fledgling mortality. Couple that with the omnipresence of S.H.I.E.L.D., an inside joke turned full fledged subplot here, with the Black Widow only so much window dressing until the end . . . like anyone's gonna complain about that. Pepper Potts becomes both an icon of the modern woman and the subject of bipartisan ridicule, and James Rhodes rides the line between confidant and Judas so delicately, he may be the film's only truly uncompromised hero, standing up for absolutely everything he represents. Even Favereau gives himself a bit more screen time, thankfully as well paced comic relief, but since all of these players need their fair share of our attention, the space between explosions threatens to drag.
Fortunately, the explosions are loud and really cool, culminating to an action scene that should please fans of Iron Man's frequent "armor wars" and casual popcorn munchers alike. I was afraid Don Cheadle would look too diminutive in his War Machine armor, and in the shadow of Terrence Howard's understated performance as Rhodey in the first film. In fact, I think Cheadle's doing his best Howard impression until the middle of the film, when the character truly goes out on his own. Mickey Rourke's Russian accent is impressive, too, and his stone-faced Whiplash/Crimson Dynamo foe is one obviously at peace with his tragic lot in life, which is ironically a life of constant war. He's actually a well-centered contrast to Downey's desperate Stark, who we only really root for because we want to be him, flaws and all if it means hanging with those women, wearing that suit. Downey is simply the best casting in comic book movie history. 'Nuff said.
And, Garry Shandling steals the show. His bloated face should win Best Supporting Actor, and I mean that in the best way possible
If this sequel exploiting its original's subtleties, it also totally subdued a few of its predecessor's strengths, namely the international subplot that made Iron Man a hero with global roots. In the first film, Iron Man is born in the Middle East and returns there when he sees terrorism at its worst. This film is very Stark-centric, including the secret to his father's legacy, which is slated to change the future -- for right now, anyway, it's just changing him. We almost need one more film to put it all together -- so, okay, maybe this isn't a masterpiece. It's definitely the brush stroke of some master storytellers -- with a masterpiece in the making.
Ah, but that's the point of these Marvel movies now, isn't it? The Iron Man franchise, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America (all of whom appear ever so briefly one way or another here) -- the if the side-by-side fight with Iron Man and War Machine are any indication, a capable director should be able to handle multiple heroes on the same battlefield, each with their own strengths and talents in play. Tony Stark may be a may divided, but something tells me all of the pieces of his puzzle will come together . . . when the Avengers assemble!
Of course, I use the term "masterpiece" loosely. This isn't Hamlet, or Pride & Prejudice or even (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) -- it's a movie based on a comic book about a guy in a cool robot suit, but like the first Iron Man film, Jon Favereau puts some heart in this summer blockbuster . . . by having his lead character take out and put in his own fake heart, over and over again. Apparently, the ARC technology Tony utilized to save his life is now also a techno-cancer, killing him slowly unless he finds an alternative power source. Meanwhile, the son of his father's former, dishonored partner has recreated the ARC tech and aims to dethrone Stark, first on his own then with the resources of competitive corporate tycoon Justin Hammer. It's a multi-layered plot incorporating espionage, legacy, and redemption, not to mention good old fashioned comic book good guys versus bad guys stuff.
However, I dare say the movie drags in the middle, exploiting the subtleties that made the first Iron Man film a truly stirring character piece. Stark's morality is still in question, jeopardized now by his fledgling mortality. Couple that with the omnipresence of S.H.I.E.L.D., an inside joke turned full fledged subplot here, with the Black Widow only so much window dressing until the end . . . like anyone's gonna complain about that. Pepper Potts becomes both an icon of the modern woman and the subject of bipartisan ridicule, and James Rhodes rides the line between confidant and Judas so delicately, he may be the film's only truly uncompromised hero, standing up for absolutely everything he represents. Even Favereau gives himself a bit more screen time, thankfully as well paced comic relief, but since all of these players need their fair share of our attention, the space between explosions threatens to drag.
Fortunately, the explosions are loud and really cool, culminating to an action scene that should please fans of Iron Man's frequent "armor wars" and casual popcorn munchers alike. I was afraid Don Cheadle would look too diminutive in his War Machine armor, and in the shadow of Terrence Howard's understated performance as Rhodey in the first film. In fact, I think Cheadle's doing his best Howard impression until the middle of the film, when the character truly goes out on his own. Mickey Rourke's Russian accent is impressive, too, and his stone-faced Whiplash/Crimson Dynamo foe is one obviously at peace with his tragic lot in life, which is ironically a life of constant war. He's actually a well-centered contrast to Downey's desperate Stark, who we only really root for because we want to be him, flaws and all if it means hanging with those women, wearing that suit. Downey is simply the best casting in comic book movie history. 'Nuff said.
And, Garry Shandling steals the show. His bloated face should win Best Supporting Actor, and I mean that in the best way possible
If this sequel exploiting its original's subtleties, it also totally subdued a few of its predecessor's strengths, namely the international subplot that made Iron Man a hero with global roots. In the first film, Iron Man is born in the Middle East and returns there when he sees terrorism at its worst. This film is very Stark-centric, including the secret to his father's legacy, which is slated to change the future -- for right now, anyway, it's just changing him. We almost need one more film to put it all together -- so, okay, maybe this isn't a masterpiece. It's definitely the brush stroke of some master storytellers -- with a masterpiece in the making.
Ah, but that's the point of these Marvel movies now, isn't it? The Iron Man franchise, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America (all of whom appear ever so briefly one way or another here) -- the if the side-by-side fight with Iron Man and War Machine are any indication, a capable director should be able to handle multiple heroes on the same battlefield, each with their own strengths and talents in play. Tony Stark may be a may divided, but something tells me all of the pieces of his puzzle will come together . . . when the Avengers assemble!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Can't Blog Now . . .
Monday, April 26, 2010
Iron Man in USA Weekly
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
New Reese's/Iron Man Commercial
My girlfriend and I visited Southern California last weekend so A Comic A Day took a brief hiatus. Before we left, I quickly posted my amusement about the latest Iron Man 2/Reese's campaign, and when I tried to look up the commercial on-line today, I found this press release. Apparently, there's no wrong way to take a stab at fifteen minutes of fame!
While I still can't find the commercials on-line, I'm sure you'll catch 'em (especially the Dr. Pepper one featuring a Stan Lee cameo) during prime time until the beginning of May, but in the meantime, Reese's Iron Man site is amusing in itself.
While I still can't find the commercials on-line, I'm sure you'll catch 'em (especially the Dr. Pepper one featuring a Stan Lee cameo) during prime time until the beginning of May, but in the meantime, Reese's Iron Man site is amusing in itself.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Coming Attractions . . .
Front page of Yahoo this afternoon. Seriously, who could've predicted that Iron Man would lead Marvel's stable of cinematic masterpieces?
Sunday, April 04, 2010
A Marvelous Easter
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Iron Man Slurpee Cups
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Marvel Tree
A detour to the Dollar Tree today was pretty productive, as far as finding cheap superhero merch goes. So, where's the DC swag? The House of Ideas - 1, the Distinguished Competition - 0.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
The Curious Case of Iron Man . . . 2
The latest trailer for Iron Man 2 went live on Yahoo (and every other corner of the Web) yesterday, and if I couldn't wait before, I'm practically shaking with anticipation now. To further whet my fanboy appetite, Marvel distributed a free Iron Man comic book last Wednesday, and while I've never read an issue of Marvel's armored avenger before, Matt Fraction's introspective Tony Stark has piqued my interest. Just like Robert Downey, Jr.'s portrayal, this Iron Man is all playboy on the outside (arguably, his most endurable armor of all), all tortured hero on the inside. His "five nightmares" are the perfect representation of any innovative inventor's fears, tinged with the concept of a superhero reality. At the end of the day, Stark's most formidable protection -- is his iron will.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Stark Does Hollywood
Robert Downey, Jr. mentioned Tony Stark on the Academy Awards tonight. So, while my favorite animated short of the year, "The Kinematograph," didn't earn a nomination, I'll take it.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Happy Birthday, Marvel!
On Tuesday night, comic book shops across the country celebrating Marvel Comics' 70th anniversary with special after-hours sales and events, and I went to two stores in Orange County that celebrated the House of Ideas, and although I passed on the much hyped The Marvels Project #1, I did acquire some completely affordable back issues of X-Statics. To celebrate Marvel's birthday, I've decided to list my top seven most personal, memorable Marvel moments. Disclaimer: The comics on this list aren't necessarily my favorite singular Marvel issues, but they are attached to memories that have enabled me to treasure comics in the mighty Marvel manner today!
7. Daredevil: Born Again. Before he redefined Batman with the beloved The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller deconstructed the Man Without Fear in the Daredevil story arc "Born Again." I read this arc as a whole, collected in trade paperback, and was most impressed with Miller's ability to strip away everything we know of Matt Murdock, from his position as a lawyer, to his friendships, to the very Daredevil costume, yet expose and retain what makes the character relevant to readers and the Marvel Universe as a whole. It truly takes a man without fear to see his life destroyed and still find a way to save the day and win the girl.
6. The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank. I was a fast fan of the Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon collaboration thanks to their work on Preacher, so picking up this Punisher relaunch via trade paperback was a no-brainer. I'll be honest; I wasn't overwhelmed with the story. Sure, the action was fast-paced, and the characters were true to the original spirit of Punisher comics, but the complexity I'd anticipated from the context of Preacher wasn't there -- until the last page. A ragtag group of Punisher wanna-be's catch up with Frank, ask him if he'd like to join their crusade, if a team of gun-toting vigilantes eradicating crime is what the Punisher has always wanted . . . and, gun firing, Punisher replies, "No." The importance is two-fold: Frank prefers to work alone, and perhaps without his war on crime, he'd have no reason to live at all. So why would he really want it to end?
5. The Secret Wars Tower of Doom Playset. I only had eight Secret Wars action figures as a kid, and I certainly didn't know they were attached to a multi-issue comic book epic, but before I enjoyed their adventures on the printed page, Captain America, Spider-man, Iron Man, and Wolverine were my Avengers that battled the likes of Dr. Doom, Magneto, Dr. Octopus, and Kang on the Tower of Doom playset in the living room. That playset had so many cool features, from the elevator to the secret war room, from the jail cell to the hidden compartment . . . I can really go on, but trust me. No five-inch plastic bad guy could ask for a better hideout.
4. Iron Man. By far, my favorite comic book movie to date. Yes, better than Dark Knight. Iron Man simply has it all: action, comedy, romance, significant character development, and two things Dark Knight just didn't have: the staging of a world bigger than its characters, and the upbeat wonder that superheroes should inspire. Think about it. At the end of Dark Knight, Batman is public enemy number one, which is certainly dynamic in its own right, but if he's content to let the people in his world think he's a murderer, what of us? At the end of Iron Man, Tony Stark lifts the curtain. "I'm a superhero, and it's awesome." As a kid, whose boots would you have preferred to fill?
3. The Incredible Hulk #372-#377. Writer Peter David culminates years' worth of subplots in this Hulk story arc that ended up defining the character for decades to follow. Simply put, Doc Samson puts Bruce Banner in a hypnotic trance to confront his inner Hulk selves, and in the end his mind merges with the green and gray Hulk personalities to create "the Professor," a quickly enraged but analytically thinking green goliath. While the emotional subtext of this story was heavier than most comics usually allow, I was particularly moved by #372, in which Betty and Bruce reunite. That last page, where they embrace, is -- pardon the Hulk pun -- smashing.
2. Bret Blevins' Cloak & Dagger Sketch. My girlfriend at the time and I were simply strolling down the main street in Prescott, Arizona, when we went into an artists' gallery on whim and I surprisingly spotted paintings by Bret Blevins, who, among other things, had illustrated two of my favorite Marvel titles, Cloak & Dagger and Sleepwalker. The caretaker of the co-op said that Bret would be in the next day, and sure enough I had the pleasure of meeting him and soliciting a free Cloak and Dagger sketch. I treasure the memory and this sketch almost as much as Bret was totally hospitable and kind -- which is to say, completely.
1. Amazing Spider-man #347. I've told the story before, essentially my origin story as a collector, but I'll summarize it again here. When I was about 10 years old, my dad worked for a moving company, and one of his customers offered him a small box of comics. One fateful Saturday morning, Dad left the box at the foot of my bed, and in it I discovered the beginning of Peter David's run on The Incredible Hulk, Strange Tales volume 2 (starring Cloak and Dagger), and bunch of other titles I still collect to this day . . . but the issue on the top won me over completely. Venom holding Spider-man's skull like Hamlet in the graveyard, and the eerie island chase that ensued within the issue, masterfully choreographed by Erik Larsen . . . it changed the way I look at comics. It gave new ideas about how to tell a story through a cooperative relationship between words and pictures . . .
Which is why Marvel has earned its self-proclaimed title as the House of Ideas lo these 70 years. Marvel Comics have simply inspired countless others to pursue ideas of their own. It's their birthday, but they're the gift that keeps on giving. Happy Birthday, Marvel!
7. Daredevil: Born Again. Before he redefined Batman with the beloved The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller deconstructed the Man Without Fear in the Daredevil story arc "Born Again." I read this arc as a whole, collected in trade paperback, and was most impressed with Miller's ability to strip away everything we know of Matt Murdock, from his position as a lawyer, to his friendships, to the very Daredevil costume, yet expose and retain what makes the character relevant to readers and the Marvel Universe as a whole. It truly takes a man without fear to see his life destroyed and still find a way to save the day and win the girl.
6. The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank. I was a fast fan of the Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon collaboration thanks to their work on Preacher, so picking up this Punisher relaunch via trade paperback was a no-brainer. I'll be honest; I wasn't overwhelmed with the story. Sure, the action was fast-paced, and the characters were true to the original spirit of Punisher comics, but the complexity I'd anticipated from the context of Preacher wasn't there -- until the last page. A ragtag group of Punisher wanna-be's catch up with Frank, ask him if he'd like to join their crusade, if a team of gun-toting vigilantes eradicating crime is what the Punisher has always wanted . . . and, gun firing, Punisher replies, "No." The importance is two-fold: Frank prefers to work alone, and perhaps without his war on crime, he'd have no reason to live at all. So why would he really want it to end?
5. The Secret Wars Tower of Doom Playset. I only had eight Secret Wars action figures as a kid, and I certainly didn't know they were attached to a multi-issue comic book epic, but before I enjoyed their adventures on the printed page, Captain America, Spider-man, Iron Man, and Wolverine were my Avengers that battled the likes of Dr. Doom, Magneto, Dr. Octopus, and Kang on the Tower of Doom playset in the living room. That playset had so many cool features, from the elevator to the secret war room, from the jail cell to the hidden compartment . . . I can really go on, but trust me. No five-inch plastic bad guy could ask for a better hideout.
4. Iron Man. By far, my favorite comic book movie to date. Yes, better than Dark Knight. Iron Man simply has it all: action, comedy, romance, significant character development, and two things Dark Knight just didn't have: the staging of a world bigger than its characters, and the upbeat wonder that superheroes should inspire. Think about it. At the end of Dark Knight, Batman is public enemy number one, which is certainly dynamic in its own right, but if he's content to let the people in his world think he's a murderer, what of us? At the end of Iron Man, Tony Stark lifts the curtain. "I'm a superhero, and it's awesome." As a kid, whose boots would you have preferred to fill?
3. The Incredible Hulk #372-#377. Writer Peter David culminates years' worth of subplots in this Hulk story arc that ended up defining the character for decades to follow. Simply put, Doc Samson puts Bruce Banner in a hypnotic trance to confront his inner Hulk selves, and in the end his mind merges with the green and gray Hulk personalities to create "the Professor," a quickly enraged but analytically thinking green goliath. While the emotional subtext of this story was heavier than most comics usually allow, I was particularly moved by #372, in which Betty and Bruce reunite. That last page, where they embrace, is -- pardon the Hulk pun -- smashing.
2. Bret Blevins' Cloak & Dagger Sketch. My girlfriend at the time and I were simply strolling down the main street in Prescott, Arizona, when we went into an artists' gallery on whim and I surprisingly spotted paintings by Bret Blevins, who, among other things, had illustrated two of my favorite Marvel titles, Cloak & Dagger and Sleepwalker. The caretaker of the co-op said that Bret would be in the next day, and sure enough I had the pleasure of meeting him and soliciting a free Cloak and Dagger sketch. I treasure the memory and this sketch almost as much as Bret was totally hospitable and kind -- which is to say, completely.
1. Amazing Spider-man #347. I've told the story before, essentially my origin story as a collector, but I'll summarize it again here. When I was about 10 years old, my dad worked for a moving company, and one of his customers offered him a small box of comics. One fateful Saturday morning, Dad left the box at the foot of my bed, and in it I discovered the beginning of Peter David's run on The Incredible Hulk, Strange Tales volume 2 (starring Cloak and Dagger), and bunch of other titles I still collect to this day . . . but the issue on the top won me over completely. Venom holding Spider-man's skull like Hamlet in the graveyard, and the eerie island chase that ensued within the issue, masterfully choreographed by Erik Larsen . . . it changed the way I look at comics. It gave new ideas about how to tell a story through a cooperative relationship between words and pictures . . .
Which is why Marvel has earned its self-proclaimed title as the House of Ideas lo these 70 years. Marvel Comics have simply inspired countless others to pursue ideas of their own. It's their birthday, but they're the gift that keeps on giving. Happy Birthday, Marvel!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hulk is Halloween Smash! (or, How the Superheroes Stole Halloween)
As I've often referenced (but haven't exploited . . . yet), my day job involves working with kids in an after school program (well, I do blog about it sometimes), and at the end of every week in October, my site has hosted Freaky Film Fridays to celebrate and countdown to Halloween. We've shown The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice, but this week we're straying from the Tim Burton catalog and showing the recently released to DVD The Incredible Hulk. Now, some may say that I'm using these cinematic events to inflict my fanboyish lifestyle onto these children, some of whom (gasp) may not like superheroes, but I dare say that The Incredible Hulk is the perfect Halloween flick, and that its release the week before everybody's favorite hallowed holiday is indicative of an entire year influenced by comics!
First of all, the Hulk is a monster, not unlike the classic movie monsters that have come to define Halloween decor for decades. Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and the Wolf-Man were all silver screen screamfests before they became 99 Cent Store cardboard cutouts, and, in his own way, the Hulk's popularity is a direct result of that Universal monsters motif. Even ol' Jade Jaws' most definitive character traits are akin to these freaky forefathers; from Dracula's nocturnal nature (the gray Hulk only came out at night, remember?) to the Frankenstein monster's conflicts with humanity, from the Mummy's mysterious strength to the Wolf-man's dueling duality. Stan Lee has cited Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as inspiration for his gamma-radiated anti-hero, but if Thunderbolt Ross didn't have such easy access to a military arsenal, he'd just as easily wave a lighted torch in the Hulk's face. And I think the end result would be the same.
Of course, the Hulk isn't the bad guy, and more so than his strength, his reflection of humanity's anger unleashed is the most frightening aspect of his story. Fortunately, Edward Norton's Hulk quells this fear by focusing his rage, the closest thing to a happy ending Mr. Purple Pants can ever have. No, it's the Abomination that should make geeks' girlfriends clutch their beaus' arms tighter, and now more so than his unleashed anger, the Emil Blonsky's alter ego epitomizes the way to go for future conflicts in comic book movies. Consider the most commercially successful bad guys of the past year: Venom, the Iron Monger in Iron Man, and the Joker in The Dark Knight. All of these villains are proverbial bizarros* for their respective heroes, dark reflections of the heroes' id. (Dr. Doom would fall under this category, too, but I said "commercially successful.") While the Joker's new-found influence is attributed to Ledger's unexpectedly intense performance and unfortunately tragic death, his depiction as an agent of chaos rather than a mutated mobster or mere "clown prince" is in stark contrast to Batman's need for order and justice. What's worse, Alan Moore's adage from The Killing Joke still holds true: there could go I, in the face of one bad day. Good thing this is the stuff of fiction. And by that I mean the idea of a geek having a girlfriend, of course.
A co-worker and I making fools of ourselves for the kids this summer, in homemade gear, before the Clown Prince of Crime and ol' Jade Jaws were coveted costumes! It took weeks for that paint to come off.
Finally, as I've said before, this summer was the summer to be a geek, with the likes of Iron Man, Indiana Jones, Speed Racer, the Hulk, Batman, and Agents Mulder and Scully all finding their way to the box office, and that's not to mention Wanted and the flicks I chose not to see! The second best thing to a summer's worth of releases like that is the month they all finally come to video/DVD/Blu-ray, which in this case is also the month kids of all ages can actually dress up like their favorite characters with little fear of consequence. Is it no surprise that Ledger's Joker is the most popular Halloween costume for boys this year, with Iron Man, Batman, and Dr. Jones also making the list? Interestingly, this phenomenon also speaks of the importance of an actor's likeness in a role, a possible backlash to the recent Terrence Howard/Don Cheadle debacle, in the unlikely event that some kids out there wanted to trick or treat as Jim Rhodes . . . "This is a trick or treating exercise," they could say.
A recent visit to Hot Topic reveals how cool it is to dress up like a superhero. Spidey's mask, Iron Man's helmet, Wolverine's claws, and . . . wait! Pause the DVD! Is that Cap's shield? How did they sneak that in there?
Bottom line? Superheroes aren't the stuff of pop culture background noise anymore. When I was a kid (I know, here we go), Superman and Spider-man costumes were simply the norm, not necessarily tied to the Christopher Reeve films of Saturday morning cartoons. They were simply always available. (However, don't get me started on the year my younger brother opted for Bravestarr's horse. He's still trying to live that down.) Now, Spidey, Iron Man, the Hulk, and their arch-nemeses are front and center. Even if I was showing The Incredible Hulk with some ulterior motive, in some feeble attempt to "fanboy-ize" the children in my after school program so I can write off action figure purchases as "youth development research" or something . . . my old heroes don't need my help. Today's kids know and love them either way. It's when they start schooling me in comic book canon, with questions like, "Why wasn't Rick Jones in the Hulk movie? Wasn't Bruce Banner saving him from a bomb?" Now, that's scary.
My Halloween costume, circa 1984.
*This trend proves that the next Superman flick should stray from the tired old Lex Luthor conflict and give us a slugfest with the original bizarro . . . Bizarro! Think about it, Hollywood! Pay one actor to play the good guy and the bad guy! Huh? Sigh, they never call me.
First of all, the Hulk is a monster, not unlike the classic movie monsters that have come to define Halloween decor for decades. Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and the Wolf-Man were all silver screen screamfests before they became 99 Cent Store cardboard cutouts, and, in his own way, the Hulk's popularity is a direct result of that Universal monsters motif. Even ol' Jade Jaws' most definitive character traits are akin to these freaky forefathers; from Dracula's nocturnal nature (the gray Hulk only came out at night, remember?) to the Frankenstein monster's conflicts with humanity, from the Mummy's mysterious strength to the Wolf-man's dueling duality. Stan Lee has cited Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as inspiration for his gamma-radiated anti-hero, but if Thunderbolt Ross didn't have such easy access to a military arsenal, he'd just as easily wave a lighted torch in the Hulk's face. And I think the end result would be the same.
Of course, the Hulk isn't the bad guy, and more so than his strength, his reflection of humanity's anger unleashed is the most frightening aspect of his story. Fortunately, Edward Norton's Hulk quells this fear by focusing his rage, the closest thing to a happy ending Mr. Purple Pants can ever have. No, it's the Abomination that should make geeks' girlfriends clutch their beaus' arms tighter, and now more so than his unleashed anger, the Emil Blonsky's alter ego epitomizes the way to go for future conflicts in comic book movies. Consider the most commercially successful bad guys of the past year: Venom, the Iron Monger in Iron Man, and the Joker in The Dark Knight. All of these villains are proverbial bizarros* for their respective heroes, dark reflections of the heroes' id. (Dr. Doom would fall under this category, too, but I said "commercially successful.") While the Joker's new-found influence is attributed to Ledger's unexpectedly intense performance and unfortunately tragic death, his depiction as an agent of chaos rather than a mutated mobster or mere "clown prince" is in stark contrast to Batman's need for order and justice. What's worse, Alan Moore's adage from The Killing Joke still holds true: there could go I, in the face of one bad day. Good thing this is the stuff of fiction. And by that I mean the idea of a geek having a girlfriend, of course.
A co-worker and I making fools of ourselves for the kids this summer, in homemade gear, before the Clown Prince of Crime and ol' Jade Jaws were coveted costumes! It took weeks for that paint to come off.
Finally, as I've said before, this summer was the summer to be a geek, with the likes of Iron Man, Indiana Jones, Speed Racer, the Hulk, Batman, and Agents Mulder and Scully all finding their way to the box office, and that's not to mention Wanted and the flicks I chose not to see! The second best thing to a summer's worth of releases like that is the month they all finally come to video/DVD/Blu-ray, which in this case is also the month kids of all ages can actually dress up like their favorite characters with little fear of consequence. Is it no surprise that Ledger's Joker is the most popular Halloween costume for boys this year, with Iron Man, Batman, and Dr. Jones also making the list? Interestingly, this phenomenon also speaks of the importance of an actor's likeness in a role, a possible backlash to the recent Terrence Howard/Don Cheadle debacle, in the unlikely event that some kids out there wanted to trick or treat as Jim Rhodes . . . "This is a trick or treating exercise," they could say.
A recent visit to Hot Topic reveals how cool it is to dress up like a superhero. Spidey's mask, Iron Man's helmet, Wolverine's claws, and . . . wait! Pause the DVD! Is that Cap's shield? How did they sneak that in there?
Bottom line? Superheroes aren't the stuff of pop culture background noise anymore. When I was a kid (I know, here we go), Superman and Spider-man costumes were simply the norm, not necessarily tied to the Christopher Reeve films of Saturday morning cartoons. They were simply always available. (However, don't get me started on the year my younger brother opted for Bravestarr's horse. He's still trying to live that down.) Now, Spidey, Iron Man, the Hulk, and their arch-nemeses are front and center. Even if I was showing The Incredible Hulk with some ulterior motive, in some feeble attempt to "fanboy-ize" the children in my after school program so I can write off action figure purchases as "youth development research" or something . . . my old heroes don't need my help. Today's kids know and love them either way. It's when they start schooling me in comic book canon, with questions like, "Why wasn't Rick Jones in the Hulk movie? Wasn't Bruce Banner saving him from a bomb?" Now, that's scary.
My Halloween costume, circa 1984.*This trend proves that the next Superman flick should stray from the tired old Lex Luthor conflict and give us a slugfest with the original bizarro . . . Bizarro! Think about it, Hollywood! Pay one actor to play the good guy and the bad guy! Huh? Sigh, they never call me.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Hollywood’s War Machine: Cheadle Replaces Howard for Iron Man 2
Reports that Terrence Howard didn’t know Don Cheadle was slated to replace him in Iron Man 2 has made mainstream news now, at least here in Los Angeles, of course, which means a rebuttal statement about the flexibility in his contract is sure to follow from the studios. Internet rumors aren’t always enough for studios to warrant a statement, but it’s really my fellow fans’ opinions I’ve been thinking about. Was Howard’s role in the film significant enough for fans to issue a backlash?
One of the critical surprises of Iron Man’s success was the actors’ performances, and Howard’s is no exception. His line, “Next time, baby,” was one of the best teasers and fan pleasers in the film! Now, Hollywood has twisted that line and proven him wrong -- “Next time, yes, but not for you, buddy!” Obviously, Colonel Jim Rhodes will play a larger role in Iron Man 2, at least enough to garner an A-lister like Cheadle for the part. Well, for the record, I for one am a little disappointed in the transition. When a studio is so quick to change up its cast in the shadow of success with hopes for something even greater, I wonder what else it would sacrifice from the film’s previous incarnation. Before you know it, Iron Man is fighting a big mechanical spider . . . sigh, with no mention of Alistair Smythe, okay, fellow Marvelites? You know what I mean! Though, speaking of Spider-man, where does the actress that played Betty Brant get off saying that her return in Spider-man 4 would be a favor? In these hard economic times, I’d take any work I can get! Ah, so that’s the real tragedy of Terrence Howard’s situation. He’s been outsourced! Looks like Stark Industries still hasn’t learned its lesson.
The question is, is there a lesson for Hollywood here? Changing actors for a supporting character like The Dark Knight’s Rachel Dawes, destined for death anyway, is inconsequential to the fabric of a comic-to-film’s franchise, but when Howard was cast, fans could already project him as War Machine, a rather important character to the big picture of Marvel’s new tightly inclusive cinematic universe. I mean, who hasn’t predicted a possible end to the highly anticipated Avengers film involving a jealous War Machine setting up shop with a similar set of heroes on the west coast? With everything still in development, these thoughts and questions are mostly rhetorical fanboy drivel. Nevertheless, contrary to what Iron Man would want . . . I’m up in arms.
One of the critical surprises of Iron Man’s success was the actors’ performances, and Howard’s is no exception. His line, “Next time, baby,” was one of the best teasers and fan pleasers in the film! Now, Hollywood has twisted that line and proven him wrong -- “Next time, yes, but not for you, buddy!” Obviously, Colonel Jim Rhodes will play a larger role in Iron Man 2, at least enough to garner an A-lister like Cheadle for the part. Well, for the record, I for one am a little disappointed in the transition. When a studio is so quick to change up its cast in the shadow of success with hopes for something even greater, I wonder what else it would sacrifice from the film’s previous incarnation. Before you know it, Iron Man is fighting a big mechanical spider . . . sigh, with no mention of Alistair Smythe, okay, fellow Marvelites? You know what I mean! Though, speaking of Spider-man, where does the actress that played Betty Brant get off saying that her return in Spider-man 4 would be a favor? In these hard economic times, I’d take any work I can get! Ah, so that’s the real tragedy of Terrence Howard’s situation. He’s been outsourced! Looks like Stark Industries still hasn’t learned its lesson.
The question is, is there a lesson for Hollywood here? Changing actors for a supporting character like The Dark Knight’s Rachel Dawes, destined for death anyway, is inconsequential to the fabric of a comic-to-film’s franchise, but when Howard was cast, fans could already project him as War Machine, a rather important character to the big picture of Marvel’s new tightly inclusive cinematic universe. I mean, who hasn’t predicted a possible end to the highly anticipated Avengers film involving a jealous War Machine setting up shop with a similar set of heroes on the west coast? With everything still in development, these thoughts and questions are mostly rhetorical fanboy drivel. Nevertheless, contrary to what Iron Man would want . . . I’m up in arms.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
I am Iron Man. You are Iron Man. We're ALL Iron Man! -- Iron Man DVD Release
After I saw Jon Faverau's teaser for Iron Man at the 2007 Comic Con, I told anyone that would listen to brace themselves for the next big superhero trend, the likes of which we hadn't seen since the first Spider-man film, despite the numerous superhero movies that have been released since. Something about the sheer spirit of that trailer, which managed to capture the glamor of Tony Stark's wealth, the horror of his capture and escape, then the raw recklessness and fun that comes with a brand new toy, seemed so transcendent from its comic book origins that I knew even the cool kids would clamor for an Iron Man backpack in August, an Iron Man costume for Halloween, and an Iron Man action figure for Christmas. So distracted was I by the minutia of that moment that I failed to recognize the bigger picture: Iron Man was poised to kick off one of the most fulfilling summers in geek history.
Today, Iron Man is poised again to launch a similarly fulfilling season of DVD releases -- and, post-Dark Knight fervor, is ready to reclaim its mantle as the best superhero movie ever made. Yes. I'm going on the record. Batman is by far my favorite superhero character, but Iron Man made for a much more enjoyable film. Consider the following accomplishments.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, Jon Favereau and Robert Downey, Jr. made Iron Man a household name. Prior to the movie's release in May, Iron Man was at best a B-list superhero, just a supporting fixture in the Marvel Universe. Hear me out, here: like Obama, I'm talking about Main Street -- Mr. and Mrs. Joe Blow. Prior to May, ask the average American to name five superheroes, and chances are you'll get the same five answers: Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Spider-man. The Hulk and Aquaman are possible runners-up, as all seven of these characters have appeared in various broadcast incarnations. (Remember, Aquaman was a headliner in Super Friends, and I think his name has a certain mainstream resonance people fondly remember.) But Iron Man? No, that shortlived '90s cartoon doesn't count, not in the shadow of the more tenacious X-Men series. The Armored Avenger was little more than a hood ornament in the grand scheme of America's general consensus about superheroes.
Now? Well, I'm no Nostradamus, but kids are wearing Iron Man backpacks. Kids are buying Iron Man Halloween costumes. And I reckon come Christmas those Iron Man action figures are going to fly off of Target toy aisles all over again. If the film's appeal was just its special effects, I wouldn't deem it worth much further analysis -- besides, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull cornered the market for special effects for special effects' sake this summer. No, on a much more challenging level, Tony Stark gave America a Bruce Wayne it can believe in. Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is Paris Hilton, definitely a compelling creature, but a celebrity by blood and wealth only. Without his training and "wonderful toys," Wayne is dismissive TMZ fodder. On the other hand, Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark has earned his arrogance and fame through his brilliance and ingenuity. True, the son of a successful corporate mongul, but Favereau gives us Ultimate Bill Gates in Stark, or Richard Branson sans the creepy grin. Stark is all business, but we'd love to play at being him.
Also, unlike DC's conscious disconnect from the real world, the Marvel mentality has attempted to convince its audience that their world is ours, too. Spider-man swings through the widely recognized New York skyline, in contrast to the ambiguous (and ambitious) Metropolis or Gotham City. Is any awkward teenager just a radioactive spider bite away from saving the day? On a much more grim level, is any billionaire industrialist just a tragic trip to Afghanistan away from creating the most interactive weapon ever invented? Yes, while Spidey gave us New York, and Daredevil Hell's Kitchen, Iron Man briefly but poignantly gives us the Middle freakin' East, for once making the audience subconsciously wish that the terrors of the superhero world weren't so much like ours. Now, Heath Ledger's Joker was truly frightening . . . but how far are we from the the Clown Prince of Crime compared to the Mandarin's Ten Rings terrorist circle?
Finally, Iron Man has begun to build an entire universe, effectively offering the first beloved crossover between his movie and the almost-as-awesome Incredible Hulk a month later. "The Avengers Initiative?" Please. You'd think Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury was working an erotic phone service, the way the audience geek-gasmed during that post-credits scene at the first midnight showing, then again when Stark joins Colonel Ross at the end of Hulk. Now, some superhero flicks have dared to reference their broader contexts before; Val Kilmer's Bruce Wayne mentions Metropolis in Batman Forever, and J. Jonah Jameson discounts Dr. Strange as a possible alias for Doc Ock because it's "already taken," but this . . . An Avengers film has been promoted from the stuff of Internet rumor to now eagerly anticipated reality. Remember when Marvel's properties were so widespread among film distributors that such a crossover was deemed impossible? DC's stable has always been under the Warner Brothers umbrella, and the best they've given us in a defunct Batman vs. Superman billboard in I Am Legend. But I digress.
(To be fair, DC has certainly cornered the TV market, from Batman: The Animated Series to Smallville. Still, who doesn't take our now weekly offerings of a young Superman for granted, particularly in the shadow of feature film hype? How many fans prefer that live action Justice League to the unlimited animated incarnation of yesteryear? That's another entry altogether!)
From a B-list cartoon character to a movie franchise's founding father, Iron Man certainly has come a long way this year. The question is, will he take the relatively shorter trip from the sales rack to your DVD collection? Heck, some special editions come with an Iron Man mask, asserting that devilish maxim applicable to all men's men like Tony Stark: the guys want to be him, and the girls want to be with him. Like the origin of Iron Man itself, I guess this DVD set proves that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Today, Iron Man is poised again to launch a similarly fulfilling season of DVD releases -- and, post-Dark Knight fervor, is ready to reclaim its mantle as the best superhero movie ever made. Yes. I'm going on the record. Batman is by far my favorite superhero character, but Iron Man made for a much more enjoyable film. Consider the following accomplishments.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, Jon Favereau and Robert Downey, Jr. made Iron Man a household name. Prior to the movie's release in May, Iron Man was at best a B-list superhero, just a supporting fixture in the Marvel Universe. Hear me out, here: like Obama, I'm talking about Main Street -- Mr. and Mrs. Joe Blow. Prior to May, ask the average American to name five superheroes, and chances are you'll get the same five answers: Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Spider-man. The Hulk and Aquaman are possible runners-up, as all seven of these characters have appeared in various broadcast incarnations. (Remember, Aquaman was a headliner in Super Friends, and I think his name has a certain mainstream resonance people fondly remember.) But Iron Man? No, that shortlived '90s cartoon doesn't count, not in the shadow of the more tenacious X-Men series. The Armored Avenger was little more than a hood ornament in the grand scheme of America's general consensus about superheroes.
Now? Well, I'm no Nostradamus, but kids are wearing Iron Man backpacks. Kids are buying Iron Man Halloween costumes. And I reckon come Christmas those Iron Man action figures are going to fly off of Target toy aisles all over again. If the film's appeal was just its special effects, I wouldn't deem it worth much further analysis -- besides, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull cornered the market for special effects for special effects' sake this summer. No, on a much more challenging level, Tony Stark gave America a Bruce Wayne it can believe in. Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is Paris Hilton, definitely a compelling creature, but a celebrity by blood and wealth only. Without his training and "wonderful toys," Wayne is dismissive TMZ fodder. On the other hand, Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark has earned his arrogance and fame through his brilliance and ingenuity. True, the son of a successful corporate mongul, but Favereau gives us Ultimate Bill Gates in Stark, or Richard Branson sans the creepy grin. Stark is all business, but we'd love to play at being him.
Also, unlike DC's conscious disconnect from the real world, the Marvel mentality has attempted to convince its audience that their world is ours, too. Spider-man swings through the widely recognized New York skyline, in contrast to the ambiguous (and ambitious) Metropolis or Gotham City. Is any awkward teenager just a radioactive spider bite away from saving the day? On a much more grim level, is any billionaire industrialist just a tragic trip to Afghanistan away from creating the most interactive weapon ever invented? Yes, while Spidey gave us New York, and Daredevil Hell's Kitchen, Iron Man briefly but poignantly gives us the Middle freakin' East, for once making the audience subconsciously wish that the terrors of the superhero world weren't so much like ours. Now, Heath Ledger's Joker was truly frightening . . . but how far are we from the the Clown Prince of Crime compared to the Mandarin's Ten Rings terrorist circle?
Finally, Iron Man has begun to build an entire universe, effectively offering the first beloved crossover between his movie and the almost-as-awesome Incredible Hulk a month later. "The Avengers Initiative?" Please. You'd think Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury was working an erotic phone service, the way the audience geek-gasmed during that post-credits scene at the first midnight showing, then again when Stark joins Colonel Ross at the end of Hulk. Now, some superhero flicks have dared to reference their broader contexts before; Val Kilmer's Bruce Wayne mentions Metropolis in Batman Forever, and J. Jonah Jameson discounts Dr. Strange as a possible alias for Doc Ock because it's "already taken," but this . . . An Avengers film has been promoted from the stuff of Internet rumor to now eagerly anticipated reality. Remember when Marvel's properties were so widespread among film distributors that such a crossover was deemed impossible? DC's stable has always been under the Warner Brothers umbrella, and the best they've given us in a defunct Batman vs. Superman billboard in I Am Legend. But I digress.
(To be fair, DC has certainly cornered the TV market, from Batman: The Animated Series to Smallville. Still, who doesn't take our now weekly offerings of a young Superman for granted, particularly in the shadow of feature film hype? How many fans prefer that live action Justice League to the unlimited animated incarnation of yesteryear? That's another entry altogether!)
From a B-list cartoon character to a movie franchise's founding father, Iron Man certainly has come a long way this year. The question is, will he take the relatively shorter trip from the sales rack to your DVD collection? Heck, some special editions come with an Iron Man mask, asserting that devilish maxim applicable to all men's men like Tony Stark: the guys want to be him, and the girls want to be with him. Like the origin of Iron Man itself, I guess this DVD set proves that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
A Year Called Comics, part 3b: Convention Convolution
A Year Called Comics, part 3b: Convention Convolution
(The third of an eight-part year-end analysis of the A Comic A Day project!)
Still, I can’t complain. With both Friday and Saturday sold out, I’m grateful just to be here, and the giveaways alone are worth the price of admission, with T-shirts, posters, pins, comics, and even Mini-Mates aplenty flooding the floor like porno on the streets of Vegas. DC is promoting their latest crisis du joir, Marvel is pushing Iron Man and their DVD release Dr. Strange (for which I walked out of a world premiere with the temptation to redub the character Dr. Snooze), the CW is distributing large Smallville burlap bags perhaps in an attempt to environmentally discourage the use of plastic bags, and ABC Family is cramming Kyle XY and his navel-free midriff down everyone’s throats. Thanks to these sneak peaks and innovative promotions, I’ll be able to choose my vices wisely even after the Con.
(The third of an eight-part year-end analysis of the A Comic A Day project!)
Some decisions at the Comic Con are just made for you. When the parking lots and garages are full in and around the convention center an hour before opening time, you have no choice but to troll San Diego’s Gaslamp and Little Italy districts for precious vehicular real estate. (Further, when DC skywrites “ha ha ha” to promote next summer’s surefire blockbuster The Dark Knight, you cannot help but wonder if God is actually mocking your commitment to comics.) When you wait in line for over an hour only to discover that the daily allotment for the Con exclusive you’ve wanted has depleted, you have to decide whether or not to try again tomorrow. When a hall fills to capacity for some world premiere, you have no choice but to sit next to that deodorant-free dork whose sheer mass already requires half of the seat you’ve managed to score.
Yes, at the Comic Con, sometimes you have no choice. But, before even any of those challenges, you have the chance not to make the choice. Let me explain . . .
When my friends and I left San Diego’s Hotel Circle an hour and a half before the Con opened on Friday, we thought ninety minutes would be plenty of time to travel eight miles. After all, we scored a parking space in the convention center’s structure on Thursday with only half an hour to spare. So, rather than park in a lot some distance away and take a shuttle, a completely rational option, we tried to replicate the previous day’s success – for naught. After finding an open space, getting a cup of coffee, waiting for and enduring the shuttle ride, four hours later, we landed at the Con. Our trip could’ve been expedited by skipping the gamble and seeking a spot outside of downtown’s immediate vicinity in the first place, but after we made that choice, we then had no choice.
Yes, at the Comic Con, sometimes you have no choice. But, before even any of those challenges, you have the chance not to make the choice. Let me explain . . .
When my friends and I left San Diego’s Hotel Circle an hour and a half before the Con opened on Friday, we thought ninety minutes would be plenty of time to travel eight miles. After all, we scored a parking space in the convention center’s structure on Thursday with only half an hour to spare. So, rather than park in a lot some distance away and take a shuttle, a completely rational option, we tried to replicate the previous day’s success – for naught. After finding an open space, getting a cup of coffee, waiting for and enduring the shuttle ride, four hours later, we landed at the Con. Our trip could’ve been expedited by skipping the gamble and seeking a spot outside of downtown’s immediate vicinity in the first place, but after we made that choice, we then had no choice.
More importantly, at the Con, I had to make the critical decision whether to peruse the exhibit hall, which is elbow to armpit full of freebie hungry geeks, or endure potentially hours’ worth of wait for a panel of interest, usually regarding anticipated movie or publishing projects. On Thursday, I opted for the latter, seeing previews of Iron Man and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and catching a two-month premature showing of the straight-to-DVD DC animated Superman: Doomsday film. I stood around a lot, sometimes moving only inches in minutes, but it was worth it, especially since I forwent that option today to explore the showroom. I found and purchased plenty of comics I’d wanted, including Starslayer #2 and #3, which feature the first appearances of the Rocketeer, and took a risk on a few trade paperbacks that may either become instant favorites or collection-filling regrets. Either way, I can rest assured that these decisions were mine alone.
Regretfully, by my observation, the quietest places on the Con floor are the comic retailers. I spent quite a few unencumbered hours thumbing through dollar bins, blackening my fingertips with back issue dust and assured my oft forsaken backpack was safe outside of the trampling feet of a main thoroughfare. If one enjoys simulating sardine conditions, he need only lumber his way to the video game booths or movie studios’ displays. I understand that this venue is designed to celebrate the popular arts, but the greatest art exhibited at the Comic Con is corporate marketing. “Comic” precedes “Con” now in name only.
Regretfully, by my observation, the quietest places on the Con floor are the comic retailers. I spent quite a few unencumbered hours thumbing through dollar bins, blackening my fingertips with back issue dust and assured my oft forsaken backpack was safe outside of the trampling feet of a main thoroughfare. If one enjoys simulating sardine conditions, he need only lumber his way to the video game booths or movie studios’ displays. I understand that this venue is designed to celebrate the popular arts, but the greatest art exhibited at the Comic Con is corporate marketing. “Comic” precedes “Con” now in name only.
Still, I can’t complain. With both Friday and Saturday sold out, I’m grateful just to be here, and the giveaways alone are worth the price of admission, with T-shirts, posters, pins, comics, and even Mini-Mates aplenty flooding the floor like porno on the streets of Vegas. DC is promoting their latest crisis du joir, Marvel is pushing Iron Man and their DVD release Dr. Strange (for which I walked out of a world premiere with the temptation to redub the character Dr. Snooze), the CW is distributing large Smallville burlap bags perhaps in an attempt to environmentally discourage the use of plastic bags, and ABC Family is cramming Kyle XY and his navel-free midriff down everyone’s throats. Thanks to these sneak peaks and innovative promotions, I’ll be able to choose my vices wisely even after the Con.
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