Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Spitballing - Green Lantern

 

Ever since Green Lantern came out in 2011, I've heard conflicting reports about the film's quality.  No one thinks it's actually GOOD, mind you, but there are some people who think it's halfway decent and not nearly so bad as many others suggest.  Upon finally watching the film for myself, I'd say it's somewhere between those two opinions, but leaning more towards the "it stinks" side.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Iron Man #313


 
I mentioned in an earlier post that I was planning on reviewing a Batman comic for Christmas this year.  Unfortunately, the comic I had in mind wasn’t quite as holiday-themed as I thought, so you get Iron Man instead.  Whatever, they’re both emotionally stunted playboys with dead parents and too much time on their hands.  I’m sure nobody’ll notice the difference.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Avengerous Tales 1.4 - Avengers #7-#8



To read Avengerous Tales 1.3, go here!
 
Hey all!  Yet again, I’m going to provide you with some backstory before we start the official review so that everything will make more sense.

In Tales of Suspense #56, Tony had a bit of a midlife crisis and decided to quit being Iron Man and start having fun with his life instead.  (For what it’s worth, ‘having fun’ largely consisted of being a jerk to his friends.)  The other Avengers tried to call Iron Man to go after a new villain called the Unicorn (I’ll give you a second to stop laughing), but Tony told them that Iron Man was on “vacation” and therefore unavailable.  If you’re wondering why the other Avengers couldn’t just go after the Unicorn themselves, well… um… I don’t know, Bonanza was on?

Long story short, the Unicorn attacks Stark Industries, thus forcing Iron Man back from “vacation” and snapping Tony out of his very brief “I do what I want” phase.

Also of importance is Journey into Mystery #103.  All you need to know is that the Enchantress and the Executioner (in their very first appearance) tried to banish Thor’s love interest, Jane Foster, to limbo, and in Avengers #7, Odin exiles them to Midgard as punishment.  Not punishment for attacking Jane, mind you—Odin hates her and was totally on board with that part—but for attacking Thor.  Uh, I’m sorry, but why is Loki considered Thor’s arch-nemesis and not Odin?

Friday, November 21, 2014

Avengerous Tales 1.3 - Avengers #5-#6


 
To read Avengerous Tales 1.2, go here!

Hey there, everyone, and welcome to the third post in my new Avengerous Tales review series.  Before we begin, I think these issues need a wee bit of introduction. 

If you’ll recall the end of the last review, Banner’s confidante Rick Jones worried that the Hulk would be upset about his running off to be Captain America’s Replacement Bucky.  In Fantastic Four #25, which is an Avengers crossover along with Fantastic Four #26, we find out that ‘upset’ is an understatement, and even as the Avengers fly to New Mexico to try to track the Hulk down, the Hulk bounds off to New York to kick the Avengers’ butts for treating him so badly.  Dontcha hate it when you go all the way out to see someone and it turns out they’re not home?  That’s what you get for not calling ahead.

In FF #25-#26, in which the Hulk is referred to as “Bob Banner” for no discernable reason*, the Hulk and the Thing spar a little before the Avengers finally show up to try to take responsibility for their ex-member.  In the resulting fight, Hulk of course gets away again, but not before thoroughly trashing Tony Stark’s (one day to be Avengers’) mansion.  And that’s where Avengers #5 picks up.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Avengerous Tales 1.2 - Avengers #3-#4



To read Avengerous Tales 1.1, click here!
 
Ya gotta love the font on these old covers.  It makes The Avengers look like the title to a sitcom starring Marlo Thomas, not a superhero comic.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Avengerous Tales 1.1 – Avengers #1-#2


 
Hey, kiddies!  This post marks the beginning of a whole new adventure for this blog.  It’s the very first part of my way-too-many-parts-to-count series of Avengerous Tales!  Uncreatively titled it may be, but hopefully we’ll have some fun as I try to review every single Avengers comic ever made from the team’s debut in 1963 straight on through Busiek and Pérez’s run in the 1990s/2000s.  I might also take a peek at Marvel Adventures: The Avengers just because it looks adorable.  Regardless, I’ll be stopping before Civil War because I don’t want to have to deal with it or any of the garbage that came after (I’ve already reviewed Civil War if you would like to find out why I feel that way).

Let’s start the party.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Hey look, I'm posting!

Hello to anyone reading this!  This is just a quick note to outline some future plans.  I will definitely be making a winter/holiday post in December--either an episode of Smallville or maybe a Batman comic, I haven't decided yet.  Maybe both.

I've also been thinking about changing the format of this blog a little bit and just reviewing every Avengers comic I can get access to, starting with Avengers #1 from the early '60s straight on through to however long I can keep it up.  I've been reading through them myself and have quite a few thoughts about them (especially the one where Hank Pym infamously slaps his wife--dear ODIN do I have thoughts about that, and they're probably not what you think), and what's the point of having a blog if you don't inflict your thoughts on the internet, right?

I'm not sure when I'd start that, if I choose to do it.  I'd probably want to read a bit more on my own first, and maybe read some of the team members' solo comics (I've read only one issue of Captain America--can you believe that?) to get some background, before I do anything.  I've kind of missed ranting about superheroes, but I've been busy writing other things, so hey, whatcha gonna do?

Just wanted to let you know. :)

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Civil War #1-#2


 
Welcome, nerds and nerdlings, to my review of Civil War, a.k.a. Marvel’s Identity Crisis.  Why yes, yes it is that bad, thanks for asking.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Flash #53


Heyo!  It’s summer vacation and I have a little free time on my hands, so I’m going to review a few comics that I’ve always wanted to talk about.  And since June is LGBT Pride Month, the first comic on my hit list is Flash #53.  Don’t recognize it?  Let’s just say there’s a reason this issue is relatively famous, and it has nothing to do with the guest appearance by Big Blue there.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

"Aqua" - Smallville


 
Hey, all!  I’m taking a hiatus from the hiatus to fulfill a request from a friend, who wanted to see a review about her favorite hero, Aquaman.  So today we’re returning to Smallville to take a look at the fifth-season episode “Aqua.”