All posts by Stephen Sanchez

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Grizzly Graphic Novel Review: Marvel Knights Spiderman – The Mark Millar Collection

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Spiderman is sometimes a hit and miss read for me. I love the character, but you go from the great early 90’s dumb action of a story like Maximum Carnage to a debacle like the Clone Saga. Then you have a bunch of filler before Joseph Michael Straczynski makes his mark going into the 2000’s by basically redefining the character and a bit of his back story involving his spider powers. After that you have crap like a Brand New Day that completely craps on continuity, but in recent years it has recovered a bit with Dan Slott taking over writing duties on the sole Amazing Spiderman title.

In the mix between some of that stuff in 2004, Mark Millar started writing duties on Marvel Knights: Spiderman, culminating in 3 story arcs that spanned 12 issues. Now, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the Scotsman responsible for writing in such comics as Kick Ass, The Ultimates, Ultimate X-men, Wolverine, Old Man Logan and Marvel: Civil War, now you are familiar with him. And that’s just some of the titles just from Marvel. It seems to me like his run on Marvel Knights Spiderman is seriously overlooked because to my mind it’s almost right on the same level as the work Straczynski did with the character. The Marvel Knights brand itself was supposed to be a little more dark and edgy, dare I say a little more grown up and violent. Marvel Knights Spiderman was definitely a mixture of all of those but never failed to capture the true essence of the character. Sure Spiderman has moments of rage in the series when his Aunt’s life is threatened and takes some savage beatings along the way, but he never loses his wisecracking cheerfulness that makes him stand out from other heroes without being too cheesy.

The story itself reminds me a lot of Batman’s Hush storyline that DC brought us 2 years previously. Someone has kidnapped Aunt May, and that kidnapper knows Spiderman’s true identity and sends him on a search that will test his limits both physically and morally. Pretty much every Spiderman villain in existence at the time shows up in this story arc, from the Green Goblin to Venom and Doc Ock to Electro. Hell, even Hydro Man shows up for a few minutes to give ole’ Spidey some grief. Aside from truly capturing the spirit of Spiderman’s character even in such dire circumstances, Millar succeeded in making a couple of the villains a little more respectable. One in particular by far.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Throughout the Millar run, Venom and Eddie Brock factor into things heavily as a supervillain auction is called so that everyone can bid on the Venom symbiote that Eddie Brock is willingly giving up due to him having cancer and wanting to contemplate the remainder of his life in peace. The suit doesn’t initially go to the villain I mentioned above, but when it does, it reinvents him and the Venom symbiote as well. Mac Gargan, the Scorpion is the villain who was calling Peter at the beginning of the storyline and he is working for none other than Norman Osborn who Spidey initially discounted from the suspect list. Gargan explains to Spiderman that Osborn has dirt on plenty of politicians out there and goes into a long conspiracy theory about how the government has created certain supervillains to sort of keep the superheroes in check, Osborn being an upgrader of sorts to a lot of supervillains out there. I’d hate this whole idea, but Gargan clears it up and explains that most villains are natural, there’s just those random jobbers out there that were created for the sole purpose to keep the superheroes busy. Gargan went from being  a B lister to a guy who knew Spiderman’s secret identity. Then to further raise his status the Venom symbiote seeks him out and offers a partnership which Gargan takes, creating a whole new Venom. This version of Venom would stick around even past the Dark Reign storyline as he masqueraded as Spiderman on the Dark Avengers. Even though there is a whole new take on Venom with Flash Thompson now owning the symbiote, Millar’s run on Marvel Knights Spiderman made Venom a little more relevant for little over half a decade.

Even casual fans of Spidey should check this one out. There’s a great story and mystery throughout (if you didn’t read the spoiler) and some stellar artwork by heavyweights Frank Cho and Terry Dodson. There are a few unnecessary cameos by the Avengers and some X-men but other than that, this is one fine read. Don’t pass it up! 4 out of 5 grizzlies!

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Grizzly Graphic Novel Review: Batman – Gates of Gotham

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I believe I’m one of many that very much enjoyed Dick Grayson’s tenure as the Batman. He lived, he learned, he kicked some major ass. He overcame his doubts that he could be a great Batman and I’m sure should Bruce ever need him to step up again he will take the call. That being said, The Gates of Gotham is one of the last handful of stories we will see with Grayson as the Dark Knight and it’s a little bittersweet, but they brought us one hell of a story with this one. 

I’m really becoming a fan of Bat-comics where they alternate between the story in the present time and one from times past. I’m not so much a fan that I want them to wear the whole thing out, but it really works for some of the stories. More recently it was used in the Penguin: Pain and Prejudice series. In Gates of Gotham it is used to present us with a bit of Gotham’s past that none of us were ever aware, least of all Dick and the rest of the bat-gang.

Basically,Gotham was financed and brought to prominence by the wealthiest families of power and influence: The Waynes, the Cobblepots, and the Elliots. Together they tasked two brilliant architect/engineers, the Anders, with turning Gotham into the most modern and fast growing cities in the country. The Anders take great joy in this job, but eventually things begin to turn sour and the problem presented in modern-day Gotham somehow links back to this era inGotham’s history during the late 1800’s.

Enter present day Gotham and the start of the story: Someone is blowing things up in Gotham with semtex explosives. And they’re not just blowing up petty stuff, they’re going after landmarks such as the Gotham City Trigates among others that you’ll be treated to in the trade paperback. “The Families Will Fall by the Gates of Gotham” is the only inkling Batman and Commissioner Gordon have to go on. Thus starts a race against time investigation before any more lives are lost to the mysterious bomber. Along the way Batman will unravel the mystery ofGotham’s past and a couple of his rogues gallery as well. Since the families involve the Elliots and the Cobblepots, expect to see both Hush and Penguin popping up in the trade. Hush was my favorite of the two in this storyline, though his presence was brief it gives you an indication of how utterly twisted Tommy Elliot is as the villain Hush and his undying hatred for Bruce Wayne. His fixation on him being the only one to kill Bruce Wayne is akin to Joker’s insistence that no one can kill “his” Batman except for him.

As I said before, the story was very well done. The whole trade had a very gritty, noir feel to it and the art was melded perfectly with that. Not only do I enjoy seeing Dick Grayson as the Batman, but I love it when several members of the Bat Family work together to run down a case. This one in particular had the quartet of Dick, Red Robin, the ever annoying (But likeable!) Damien Wayne and a surprise visit from Cassandra Cain back briefly from her Batman Inc. duties overseas as Black Bat. The interactions between Damien and Cassandra were amusing, as Damien always tries to berate someone over how his father wouldn’t approve of them and how he is going to be the heir of Batman. Eventually Red Robin gives Damien a sobering statement pointing out that his father only recently started giving a rat’s ass about him. It was all great banter that made the book flow as it reached a great reveal to the climax.

*Minor Spoilers Below*

I have always enjoyed seeing new and twisted villains that Batman can square off against, such as Professor Pyg, and I’ve heard that the DC Comics New 52 is doing just that with some of their newer villains. The villain in this story, ‘The Architect” was pretty awesome I thought. His suit reminded me of Mr. Freeze’s in a way and the fact that the pressurization slowly kills the person wearing it and makes them delusional was both cool and a little disturbing. There’s no telling if the Architect will show up in Batman’s future anytime soon but I’d be welcome to a return anytime. Overall I give the trade a 5 out of 5 grizzlies. The art, the story and the characters were all masterfully done in this Bat installment. I urge any Batman fan to give a whirl.

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Twisted Metal: The Movie!

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The new Twisted Metal video game on the PS3 came out today. I haven’t yet had a chance to go out and rent it, but my heart yearns for some vehicular combat where car and body parts fly hither and yon across the screen. I mean seriously, check out this game play video below and tell me that the mass mayhem isn’t something every guy dreams of being in the thick of every now and then.

I’m not so sure of Sweet Tooth turning into an effin’ transformer, but with a storyline so completely ridiculous who the hell am I to judge?

Now comes the news of a Twisted Metal movie in the works to further rock our worlds and it is being developed by the same team bringing us Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance this Friday in theaters. They are also the same team behind the Crank movies starring Jason Statham. The trailer from Ghost Rider: Spirits of Vengeance actually looks as if they were possibly doing a test run for a Twisted Metal movie with the car and motorcycle scenes. Not to mention with the frantic pace and ferocity of the Crank films I’d say it’s safe to assume they can handle a Twisted Metal movie. Check out a little from the story reported at Deadline:

Sony Pictures has made a preemptive 7-figure deal for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance co-director Brian Taylor to write and direct a live action adaptation of the iconic video gameTwisted Metal. Ghost Rider’s Avi and Ari Arad are producing the adaptation of the game, which has been published in various configurations by Sony Computer and is one of the biggest selling video games. The newest version of the game was just released today for PlayStation 3. Avi Arad, of course, has been a producer of Sony’s Spider-Man films since the beginning, including the upcoming 3D The Amazing Spider-Man.

I know what you’re thinking; how is this different from any other terrible videogame adaptation out there? How is it different from the egregious Street Fighter movies? The all but destined to be doomed Doom movie? The numerous pieces of Uwe Bol directed drivel? The answer is simple, that there is no difference. The movie will more than likely suck, but we fans of Twisted Metal can only hope and pray that it doesn’t.

I think it will be fine just so long as they don’t try to make the movie smarter than what the game itself is. Let’s face it, the Twisted Metal story is fairly simple; a group of broken and desperate drivers have turned their cars into killing machines in order to be the one to reach the organizer of the Twisted Metal tournament so he can grant them a wish. How can you screw up a 90 minute movie given that premise? I think they can make it at least passable as a video game adaptation like the Resident Evil franchise and possibly spawn some sequels off of it. I for one hate the Resident Evil movies, but somebody likes them as they are already on part 5. We can only hope a classic video game like Twisted Metal gets the same chance.
Movie News & Opinions

Transformers 4: Michael Bay Returns in 2014

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So a few months back I wrote a Transformers article about Michael Bay possibly coming back for one or two sequels with the Robots in Disguise, even though he had already said that the third one would be the last of them. Days later Michael Bay came out and dispelled any rumors about himself returning to any more Transformers flicks. I didn’t even bother to update the article or write a follow up one because I was so sure this particular article would be coming, just not so soon. Check out the snippet below from IGN:

Paramount Pictures has now issued a press release officially announcing Michael Bay’s involvement:

Paramount Pictures announced today that director Michael Bay has signed a two-picture deal with the studio, which will commence this spring with the filming of Pain and Gain, and will be followed by the next installment in the hit Transformers franchise.

Following Pain and Gain, Bay will bring audiences a new take on the Transformers franchise as he begins production on the fourth installment in the hit series of movies based on the best-selling Hasbro toyline. The third, and most recent installment of the franchise, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Is the fourth highest global grossing film of all time with 1.124 billion dollars of worldwide box office success. Directed by Bay, the movie will re-unite the filmmaking team from the hit franchise, including producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto and Ian Bryce; and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Paramount Pictures will release the film on June 29th, 2014. 

 

So there you have it. That explosion-whore Michael Bay will be returning to explode even more, all over giant robots once again. Man, that sounded so dirty. But seriously, like Bay was going to pass up on this billion dollar franchise that is such a sure thing for him. This guy’s purpose in life is to make movies like this and the sooner he realizes that, then the better off we will all be. Don’t get me wrong, I hope that this Pain and Gain, Wahlberg-Bay-The Rock collaboration is at least a worthwhile movie to go see. I just don’t have very high hopes for anything besides napalm and half naked chicks from Michael Bay.

 

So until 2014 let the speculation begin about which actors shall return, which transformers shall kick ass and what form the story shall take! I for one am totally excited for another Transformers movie to come out. I enjoyed the third installment because it went back to it’s roots of non-stop action and a story that you could set your mind on cruise control for, unlike Revenge of the Fallen where you had to set your brain off completely to enjoy the toilet humor and bogus ass story. What’s everyone else thinking? Has the transformer franchise run its course or is everyone psyched for a new one? Comment below!

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Dark Horse Review – Star Wars: Agent of the Empire #1-3

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After trying to catch up with the Star Wars comic scene over the last month, I’ve come to the conclusion that Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse may be one of, if not the best one out there. Sure, Knights of the Old Republic is excellent so far and Dark Times is cool and very…dark. But Agent of the Empire is an awesome blend of Star Wars and James Bond.

Star Wars has been delving into different sub genres with it’s books and comics as of late, starting with the successful Joel Schrieber written Death Troopers and Red Harvest in the horror department. Shadow Games by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff is a mystery of sorts involving Dash Rendar and a famous ‘holo star’. Agent of the Empire is an espionage tale in the galaxy far, far away that succeeds at almost every level. It’s almost what the Knights of the Old Republic: The Lost Suns wanted to be but just sort of fell flat. In my opinion, as much as I love them, it’s a story that doesn’t have to rely on Jedi and Sith constantly being in the picture. There actually hasn’t been one in the first three issues and I doubt that there will be since it takes place after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and at the height of Imperial power in the galaxy.

The story follows Jahan Cross, a no-nonsense undercover Imperial Agent who is busy at the beginning investigating a fellow Imperial who turns him onto a lead involving a project called Iron Eclipse. The project just so happens to be a project started by ex-pirate and veteran of the self titled Stark Hyperspace War, Iaco Stark. At this point in the Star Wars universe, Iaco is now dead and his business and fortune tended to by his son Iaclyn. Jahan falls into a web of treachery and deceit that with any luck will lead him to the Iron Eclipse, which we as a reader are still not close to figuring out by the end of issue three. However, by the end of the issue we are promised that it shall be revealed in the next issue. Jahan is in dangerous territory as his investigation takes him to Iaco Stark’s surviving family’s home in the Corporate Sector where they deal with their own problems without Imperial intervention.

Agent of the Empire is just an altogether fun ride for any Star Wars enthusiast and even for those only a little into Star Wars. It has some familiar faces in it, but none that you as a reader have to know much back story on to enjoy the series. Aside from Han and Chewie showing up, die-hard fans will notice Armand Isard is the head man in charge of Imperial Security at this point. And for those who remember Iaco Stark, I myself don’t believe that he is actually dead. His “widower” Dah’lis mentioned that he was decapitated working on his Eclipse project but the head was never found. Could it be that Iaco just lives on in a different way such as Darth Vader and General Grievous did? Or is his brain being used for some other reason? I may be wrong, but I don’t count anyone out in Star Wars unless there is a body present and accounted for. Or in Iaco’s case, a whole body.

I was surprised at one point where Jahan is trying to get in good with Iaco’s widower Dah’lis and obtain information about Eclipse, not because there is the mere mention of sex, but because it was one of the most revealing scenes in Star Wars that I’ve seen in all of the years. Not that I am complaining, more power to them just as long as they don’t go into full-blown porno-mode. This is Star Wars after all. But then again, maybe that is the next genre they’ll make the foray into…

I give Agent of the Empire a five out of five grizzlies, whether it’s single issues or the first three issues together.

The series has a great storyline going, multiple intriguing characters throughout it besides Han and Chewie, not to mention some great action scenes. I honestly can’t wait until issue four and the reveal of Iron Eclipse, whatever the hell it is.

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DC COMICS REVIEW – PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #1-5

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These five issues were a fairly fast read and they were quite excellent. In this limited series we are treated to quite the introspection of one of Batman’s more prominent rogues; Oswald Cobblepot A.K.A The Penguin. The whole thing almost read like a non-crappy version of Tim Burton’s Batman Returns movie, showing us bits and pieces of Penguin’s birth and childhood intermingled with some of his more ruthless crimes against the people of Gotham, all for the sake of a piece of Oswald’s past that I wasn’t even aware was still around. Yes in this series, Penguin had not only a mother and a father, but three older brothers as well. Oswald was born a bit ugly for his father’s taste, but his mother treated him like her spoiled baby until the day she died, which is much later than you’d think.

Oswald Cobblepot is shown as a ruthless Gotham crimelord in the series and one who takes great pleasure in taking away the things closest to those who slight him. And by slight I mean slight. He completely ruins the lives of a couple people just for saying the wrong thing to him. He is a far cry from the information source to Batman that he has been portrayed as over probably the past decade. Oswald is essentially a bully, taking his aggression out on others just because he has the means in some twisted way of paying back the world for his brothers and others picking on him as a child. He’s one sick puppy this time around, save for the biggest bully of all who Oswald still fears and hates with a passion… Batman. It’s not clear if the Batman in this series is Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson but it almost doesn’t matter. To almost the degree of the Gotham Central series, Batman is more of a plot device and background character that anything.

Most of the story focuses on Oswald’s past and his present with a certain woman named Cassandra who is, wouldn’t you believe it, totally blind. Who else could legitimately get with the Penguin besides a blind woman? Cassandra thinks the world of Oswald in this book and it’s actually a little tragic how the whole thing ends up.

Oswald’s mother was also a very interesting part of the story, as several of Penguins brutal crimes in the story revolve around getting his dying mother gifts of jewelry. The art and story of the series were both brilliantly executed, though sometimes I had to look hard at what was drawn in a couple panels. Some of the art like the subject matter itself was very dark. I can’t actually believe I’m saying this, but is it possible that a Batman story be too dark? Though this was a great character study of the Penguin through his own eyes, it was ultimately depressing and a little sick at times. Like in Batman Returns, Penguin targets children with his rocket weapons and has multiple people executed for world famous jewelry. The flashback scenes where it was revealed what really happened to the other three Cobblepot brothers was just downright twisted, but made for a damn good bit of story telling.

I guarantee that you’ll never look at the Penguin the same again when you read a Batman comic. I give Penguin: Pain and Prejudice a 4.5 out of 5 grizzlies and recommend it to any bat fans out there.  As long as your old enough to handle the violence. Maybe the younglings can stick to Batman animated comics. I would have given it a 5 out of 5 but it was just way too dark, even for a Batman comic.