Fearless Reader I have some exciting news! Most of you probably know this already but I have begun my career in comics by writing reviews every Wednesday! I will be writing for http://www.readcomicbooks.net/. Go check it out!
For the last few weeks I've been thinking about what it means to be a 'writer' and discovering what my definition of the word was. I realised that I was boxing myself in. As in, if you aren't a novelist then you aren't really a 'writer'. Which is not true but that was the lie I was telling myself.
I've finally allowed my opens to be opened and I am seeing the world anew. People like to write. LOTS of people like to write. But there are also lots of people who love to read and I think there is a spot for all of us as we decide where in those two categories we fall. One without the other couldn't really exist or be meaningful. So as we share some words today, as I write them and you read them, I want to thank you for being such a Fearless Reader.
A few of my reviews are up already (Space: Punisher #1, Justice League #11, X-O Manowar #3, AvX Round 8 and Captain Marvel #1) but I warn you, if you can't speak 'nerd' then you're probably going to be lost. If that is the case, why don't you try picking up one of the comics at your local comic store and reading it (because you're such a fearless reader) to see if you agree or disagree with my assessment and why. I'm always game for a good comic discussion.
As always,
Zombie Warrior
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Red Hulk
If you aren't a comic fan you probably read the title of this post and said "Red Hulk? What in the hell is that?". Or maybe you're thinking "Who in the hell is that?". As it turns out the latter is the more accurate of the two. A few of years ago comics writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness started a new ongoing series for Marvel Comics. The idea was that they would introduce a 'new' character into the Marvel Universe. The result was a new Hulk was in town and his colour was red.
Over the last few months I've been picked up the trade paperback collections of this series and I have made it through the first six volumes. Each book tells a separate story but they are all connected to the same over-arching story arc. Now that I've read the collected editions I've become a huge fan of the character.
The identity of a Red Hulk is a secret through until the sixth volume of the series, the shocking revelation is one of the highlights of the series. It's good comic book fun until the big reveal though as the mysterious Red Hulk tears through the world fighting, Hulk, She-Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Namor, Thing, X-Force and I guess you're getting the idea. He fights friggin everybody. He even punches a Watcher at one point. Dude is bad ass.
However on the heels of my completion of this massive story arc comes the news that the series (now written by Jeff Parker) is going to be re-branded as 'Red She-Hulk'. I don't find this news to be very welcome at all. Just when I was getting into this character (and ready to purchase the rest of the collections) I learn that it will all be for not. Did I mention that the Red Hulk is also a member of The Avengers? Well he is. Which leads me to believe that he will lose his life or at least his power in the current Avengers vs. X-Men story.
I'll still read the rest of the Red Hulk collections. and the ongoing series but I don't see myself trying out the new Red She Hulk title, I don't find her nearly as compelling a character or really interesting at all. That's enough ranting for one day though.
Stay classy Fearless Reader.
Over the last few months I've been picked up the trade paperback collections of this series and I have made it through the first six volumes. Each book tells a separate story but they are all connected to the same over-arching story arc. Now that I've read the collected editions I've become a huge fan of the character.
The identity of a Red Hulk is a secret through until the sixth volume of the series, the shocking revelation is one of the highlights of the series. It's good comic book fun until the big reveal though as the mysterious Red Hulk tears through the world fighting, Hulk, She-Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Namor, Thing, X-Force and I guess you're getting the idea. He fights friggin everybody. He even punches a Watcher at one point. Dude is bad ass.
However on the heels of my completion of this massive story arc comes the news that the series (now written by Jeff Parker) is going to be re-branded as 'Red She-Hulk'. I don't find this news to be very welcome at all. Just when I was getting into this character (and ready to purchase the rest of the collections) I learn that it will all be for not. Did I mention that the Red Hulk is also a member of The Avengers? Well he is. Which leads me to believe that he will lose his life or at least his power in the current Avengers vs. X-Men story.
I'll still read the rest of the Red Hulk collections. and the ongoing series but I don't see myself trying out the new Red She Hulk title, I don't find her nearly as compelling a character or really interesting at all. That's enough ranting for one day though.
Stay classy Fearless Reader.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Poll Results- What Summer Movie Are You Most Excited About?
The results are in and you have spoken Fearless Readers. Before we get to that please allow me a Ryan Seacrest moment to blither on a minute or two before finally answering your question of "Who? Who? Who?" (you're beginning to sound like an owl by the way, might want to get that checked out).
The options were: The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, Battleship and The Dark Knight Rises.
We're halfway through the summer and three of the four movies listed above are already out and DKR is out in only ten days! Apparently we are of like mind Fearless Readers because I would say my ranking would have been identical:
The options were: The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, Battleship and The Dark Knight Rises.
We're halfway through the summer and three of the four movies listed above are already out and DKR is out in only ten days! Apparently we are of like mind Fearless Readers because I would say my ranking would have been identical:
- The Dark Knight Rises (level of excitement...extreme!)- it's the conclusion to one of the greatest movie trilogy's of all time, yes I went there, and it has had all of the hype that one would expect. These films will probably define Batman for my generation and I can't see anything wrong with that! I purchased by tickets for the midnight release last week and it goes without saying that I am incredibly pumped about this movie. I expect it to be my favourite of the year, anything less will be a disappointment.
- The Avengers (level of excitement...very, very high)- Marvel Studios spent years building up to The Avengers which released in May and went on to gross well over a billion worldwide! I saw this movie twice in theatres, once at the midnight release and then again on 'opening night' and I was about to go see it for a third time when it was yanked from theatres in favour of the third film on the list. The Avengers was everything I had hoped for and more. I don't know anyone who was disappointed, haven't read much of anything negative at all in fact. I have already posted about this movie so I will stop myself here but this is a 'must-see' for pretty much everybody: exceptions to the rule are people who have to ask eighteen thousand questions while the movie is playing instead of watching the damn thing.
- The Amazing Spider-Man (level of excitement...cautiously optimistic)- When I first heard that Sony was working on a 'reboot' to Spider-Man I was excited but also a little apprehensive. Spider-Man 3 was 2007, how much would change in those five short years? The answer turned out to be quite a bit. Amazing Spider-Man focuses on a younger Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and goes all of the way back to his original comic book origin in that his love interest is the beautiful Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). I have posted my full reaction to this film already so I'll let you with this: I was very pleasantly surprised by The Amazing Spider-Man, it was superb.
- Battleship (level of excitement...I was calling it 'Battleshit' after I saw the first trailer)- Calling it a blatant copy of Transformers would be pretty accurate and that's just from watching the trailers. Proving that bad acting and an over reliance on explosions, action and CG animation doesn't mean much anymore, Battleshit flopped (LOL) earlier this summer. Thankfully my Fearless Readers were smart enough to steer clear of this (sorry here comes another pun...) ship wreck.
Monday, July 9, 2012
What I've Been Reading Lately - Ted Bell
We're at that time in the program now for a few minutes to discuss what we've read over the last little while.
For the past few weeks I've been reading the latest thrillers by Ted Bell. I originally became hooked on this series when I was about 17. The hero, Alex Hawke, is an ecclectic mix of Bruce Wayne, James Bond, Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne. What makes him interesting to me is the fact that Bell continually puts him through the ringer. He loves and loses and takes his lumps and even falls into a deep depression only to be dragged out by Prince Charles when a threat emerges against the British Royal Family. Aside from the plots (which would probably be intresting enough on their own) it's because of Alex Hawke that I continue to read this series.
If you haven't already done so you should check it out! You might enjoy it. What have you been reading recently?
For the past few weeks I've been reading the latest thrillers by Ted Bell. I originally became hooked on this series when I was about 17. The hero, Alex Hawke, is an ecclectic mix of Bruce Wayne, James Bond, Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne. What makes him interesting to me is the fact that Bell continually puts him through the ringer. He loves and loses and takes his lumps and even falls into a deep depression only to be dragged out by Prince Charles when a threat emerges against the British Royal Family. Aside from the plots (which would probably be intresting enough on their own) it's because of Alex Hawke that I continue to read this series.
If you haven't already done so you should check it out! You might enjoy it. What have you been reading recently?
The Amazing Spider-Man
On July 4th I went out to see The Amazing Spider-Man. As a huge comic book fan and a movie lover I was very excited but also somewhat apprehensive to see the flick. I wasn't sure what it would be like seeing a totally new version of Spidey which comes so soon after the Sam Raini Trilogy which starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, Wilem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and James Franco as Harry Obsorn/Green Goblin. When the first film came out I was in love with the character of Spider-Man even though up until that point my only exposure to the character had come through Saturday morning cartoons. As the series continued I lost my enthusiasm for the cast. By the time I finally saw the third movie my tolerance had dwindled down to nothing and my expectations had been thoroughly let down.
And that was it, for years I had realitively no exposure to Spider-Man. Around Christmas time I was putting together the inevitable list of 'wants' and 'wants more' and on it I had a couple of video games that I would end up getting: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. Both of these games feature Spider-Man and as I battled my may through them on my Xbox 360 I started to think about maybe giving comics a try. And sure enough I did and I love them too. All of which lead me up to the release of Amazing Spider-Man last week.
No spoilers but trust me when I say this: it is SO much better than any of the three previous films. I cannot think of any way in which the new film doesn't spank the crap (lovely image, I know) of the old ones. Andrew Garfield plays an excellent high-school Peter Parker and makes us care just as much about his life outside of the red and blue suit as in. Martin Sheen delivers a wonderful performance as Uncle Ben. The lovely Emma Stone plays a cute and (very convincing) teenage love interest as Gwen Stacy.
The story flows extremely well from start to finish and somehow we don't get the feeling that the re-introduction of a villain (who is forced into being in very similar circumstances) and the re-acquiring of Peter's Spider powers. I suppose the only thing that I was disappointed with, not that I really think about it, is that fact that the words "With great power comes great responsibility" are never actually spoken in the movie.
Fellow True Believers and Fearless Readers alike should make their way out to a theatre soon to see this movie. I hope that like me you will not be disappointed by what you see.
And that was it, for years I had realitively no exposure to Spider-Man. Around Christmas time I was putting together the inevitable list of 'wants' and 'wants more' and on it I had a couple of video games that I would end up getting: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. Both of these games feature Spider-Man and as I battled my may through them on my Xbox 360 I started to think about maybe giving comics a try. And sure enough I did and I love them too. All of which lead me up to the release of Amazing Spider-Man last week.
No spoilers but trust me when I say this: it is SO much better than any of the three previous films. I cannot think of any way in which the new film doesn't spank the crap (lovely image, I know) of the old ones. Andrew Garfield plays an excellent high-school Peter Parker and makes us care just as much about his life outside of the red and blue suit as in. Martin Sheen delivers a wonderful performance as Uncle Ben. The lovely Emma Stone plays a cute and (very convincing) teenage love interest as Gwen Stacy.
The story flows extremely well from start to finish and somehow we don't get the feeling that the re-introduction of a villain (who is forced into being in very similar circumstances) and the re-acquiring of Peter's Spider powers. I suppose the only thing that I was disappointed with, not that I really think about it, is that fact that the words "With great power comes great responsibility" are never actually spoken in the movie.
Fellow True Believers and Fearless Readers alike should make their way out to a theatre soon to see this movie. I hope that like me you will not be disappointed by what you see.
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