The comic-to-film trend isn’t going to end anytime soon. Hollywood now sees the comic book world as a previously untapped gold mine, and they’re going to milk it for all its worth. I say let them milk it! I’ve been a reader of comic books since 1992, and there are enough stunning and mystifying story arcs and comic characters out there to produce another 50 top notch pictures. In fact, that’s what we’re hoping the future brings us: more riveting transfers of legendary tales.
A brilliant book with multi-layered characters that are typically easy to cheer for, but can be easy to despise. But if you pull those polarizing figures from the picture, and what Outcast truly is, is an evil, exorcism tale. Now drag those personalities back into frame and what you’ve got is a battle between good and evil that runs parallel to an intricate examination of magnetic characters.
Robert Kirkman may end up being remembered for The Walking Dead and little else, but he’s accomplished so much more than just creating The Walking Dead, and his ability to chill to the bone sure as hell isn’t dependent on the inclusion of zombies. Kirkman could make your backyard patio set terrifying, if he wanted to. He can certainly handle evil, self-doubt, violence and even maybe a hint of schizophrenia, as well. Pretty versatile, if you ask me.
As for this story, the focus rests on Kyle Barnes, an insanely troubled 30-something with a past he’d prefer to forget. But he can’t forget, because evil beings have been following him since day one. His only answer (a leery one) to this problem is to stop being the pursued and begin pursuing. Kyle embarks on a mission to rid the world of the evil beings capable of possessing the human body.
Kirkman makes this one a rugged affair, as we see some unsettling imagery, creepy ideas brought to the page and an unrelenting evil that has a score to settle with Kyle. It’s a brilliant read, and this comes from someone who isn’t a fan – in the least bit – of religious horror stories.
This one feels different. It actually doesn’t feel like an exorcism piece in the slightest, and that works for me. It reads differently, as though the small community and the mysterious and unknown are designed to take center stage over crosses and holy water. Again, big points for knowing when it’s time to move in a different direction.
I’m interested in seeing where Kyle heads from here. Robert Kirkman’s writing is top notch, and Paul Azaceta and Elizabeth Breitweiser’s artwork proves to be a magical fit for this gripping story. One volume in and I just can’t get enough of this aggressive piece of artwork.
Zack Snyder is a creative dude. When he sees something in his mind, he works with all he’s got to pull that idea from his mind and make it a true reality that worldwide fans can enjoy. Sometimes that tendency to think not out of, but far beyond the box pays off in a major way.
300 was a creation of pure brutal and mesmerizing beauty. Watchmen looked genuinely stunning, and while some aren’t too keen on the transfer, I consider it one of the better comic-to-film pieces the world has ever seen (especially given the time limitations they were forced to abide by; everyone who’s read the comic run knows it should never fit into a 3-hour slot). 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, though minimized on the digital effects front, is arguably one of the 10 greatest remakes ever made.
Zack Snyder knows what he’s doing, unfortunately it seems he’s taken on some radically different ideas about filmmaking in recent years. He’s done away with the nurturing of characters. He’s done away with deeply layered narratives. He’s traded all of that in for big explosions and outlandish battle sequences. He’s traded in artwork for a quick payoff for the attention span challenged.
His movies are a lot different in 2016 than they were circa 2006-2009.
Sometimes that tendency to think beyond the box backfires, in a big way.
It backfired in 2013’s Man of Steel, a heartless, extended battle scene that introduced us not to Superman again, but a different individual altogether. He was a moodier rendition of Jerry Siegel’s noble and selfless hero. He was edgier on every level imaginable. He rarely smiled. He rarely looked like a man light on conscience burdening. He rarely took the wellbeing of others into account. He rarely did anything other than damage property and villains.
On screen, Superman became another brute in tights… something he never, ever, ever was.
Up until recent years it seemed that Superman was always destined to be God-like under the warmest, brightest sky. Somewhere in the executive lineup of DC’s offices someone planted the seed that darkness was the way to go. The way to win crowds over… stick with that Christopher Nolan tone… even if your film shouldn’t have a hint of a Christopher Nolan tone.
Let’s just travel back a few issues of (picking from the hat here…) Action Comics issues in order to generate strong comparisons between the Superman we’ve worshipped forever and the hollow shell Snyder has insulted us with. This is a series that’s run nearly 1,000 issues and has served as a primary showcase of Superman, his skills, his respect for humanity and his understanding of the importance of blending in.
We’ll venture back an array of decades, and along the way we’ll note that the man can very rarely be deemed anything other than a symbol of hope for the people.
Take for example Action Comics #100, a book that sees “The Sleuth Who Never Failed” desperately attempting to bring Superman’s true identity to light. This chap goes to every extreme imaginable, yet fails to turn an icon into a common citizen of Metropolis. And Superman, he plays along, mildly concerned but confident in his ability to maintain a secret identity.
He never grows spiteful of this PI. He never loses patience with this PI. He never crosses a line and physically punishes this PI; the latter being something we could easily envision from a Snyder Superman film.
But let’s continue to move forward, picking random books to compare who Superman truly is, as opposed to the Superman that Zack Snyder wants us to follow.
In Action Comics #578 Superman rushes into a burning building. His first priority is getting those inside of the building out and far from flame. He wants these people safe, so of course he saves them, and with a smile on his face the entire time. Believe it or not, he even puts that fire out using the quickest, neatest way possible, so as to save the building from a “condemned” future. Instead of being recognized as a hero, he’s trashed by the fire department.
It’s a cold blow for a warm hero.
That’s just the beginning of Superman’s (and Clark Kent’s) troubles in the issue, as just about everyone turns on the man. Still, he maintains his cool and takes the lashings he’s been dealt in stride. It’s all very human, and very mature. When every last resident of Metropolis turns on the heroic figure, he doesn’t lash out. He doesn’t decide he doesn’t care about human beings. He tries, with everything he’s got to be appreciated again. It matters that much to him. He wants to squeeze into the warm spotlight, and he wants to do that the right way. He’s that human.
In the end, it turns out that Parasite has been working one of his twisted attempts to get the upper hand over Superman. It of course backfires, and all the wrongs in Superman’s universe are eventually righted. But what’s important is that no matter how hard and how far Superman is pushed, he never loses himself. He never loses sight of why he’s in Metropolis, parading about part-time in tights going out of his way to put the well-being of every last one of Metropolis’ residents at the very top of his priority list.
He’s still Superman… the one we care about.
Moving forward about 10 years to (another random selection) issue #708 we see Clark examining himself in the mirror, a mean five o’clock shadow covering his face. How ‘bout it Clark? The retro Don Johnson look? Clark thinks to himself in one of the countless moments that remind us of how astonishingly ordinary he can be. And how informed on pop culture he can be, as well.
In this issue he’s got marriage on his mind. He’s still as busy as ever, but he’s got love circling his noggin to the extent that he has trouble not losing himself and constantly swooning over Lois Lane. He cracks jokes, he delivers flowers. He contemplates a perfect honeymoon. Once again, Superman – or Clark Kent – is very everyman, like you and I. And these character traits stretch back about as far as we can remember.
In fact, if you get your hands on one of the many reprints of Action Comics #1, initially released in June of 1938, you’ll notice an important frame, located on the very first page. We see Superman in a heroic pose, and beneath that image read the words Superman! Champion of the oppressed. The physical marvel who has sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need.
Perhaps far more relevant than that particular announcement, are the moments that Superman is destined to face in the very near future.
Take a peek at the “Death of Superman” storyline. During one scene – midway through the arc – Superman essentially bypasses a chance to end the existence of Doomsday when he hears the cries of a young boy, trapped with his mother and younger sibling in a burning home, their future doomed.
Guess what Superman does? He finds a way to make it back to earth (Superman and Doomsday had been ascending into the clouds up to that point) and save that family. Why? Because that’s what he swore to do, right from the beginning.
While the “Death of Superman” story arc is three levels beyond amazing, it’s really just important to remember that Superman has always been a pure, sublime individual. And that last quote from Action Comics #1 really sums up Superman’s existence as a whole.
It’s about others, long before the man with an ‘S’ on his chest. It’s been about a lot more than super-fights for Kal-El. It’s always been about offering his own life for others.
But it sure does sound like we’re talking about an entirely different individual than the one Snyder re-introduced us to, doesn’t it?
It’s hard to imagine the humorless, edgy, unapproachable Superman of Zack Snyder’s films even pretending to entertain the idea of Superman’s true nature with any seriousness. I mean, really, does Snyder’s Superman even like anyone? Does he do anything other than work around the farm and cause 100s of millions of property damage?
I’ve got an astounding collection of print and digital superman comics (well over 1,400 different books) to rifle through at any time. And at any time I can pull up countless examples of a hero whose purity and selflessness completely eclipses every other superhero in existence. That’s the Superman that DC introduced and nurtured for what now feels like forever. And the beauty is, DC never stopped nurturing Clark Kent’s personality, either. He’s a good man that we can invest in, whether or not we know he’s a powerhouse superhero in his almost-free time.
Zack Synder doesn’t give a damn if you like the Superman we’ve respected for damn near 80 years. He cares about leaving your eyes bulging at the next massive battle scene. And, apparently, he cares about you, caring about the Superman of old.
Snyder’s films are cluttered with puzzling actions, the bulk of which are made by Superman himself.
In the earlier stages of Man of Steel we see Clark and his family find themselves trapped in the middle of a tornado. Clark stands by, yards away, and watches as his adoptive father (who he certainly seems to have a stellar relationship with) is swept away by Mother Nature’s uglier side. It’s the first major moment that we realize this Clark Kent isn’t going to develop into the Superman we’ve known for decade upon decade. That Superman would have flown over to his father, snatched him up and pulled him to safety before anyone not already preoccupied with the terror of the tornado (you’d think these people really did have some other serious concerns in a situation like this) could notice.
And don’t pretend Superman couldn’t do that; remember that through the years, in the DC world Superman raced The Flash on multiple occasions (Superman #199 – 1967, The Flash #175 – 1967, and DC Comics Presents #1 – #2 – 1978, most notably), and while I can’t point to a single race in which Superman clearly won, he sure as hell made those races competitive. If you can keep pace with The Flash, you can fly 30 feet and rescue your old man in the blink of an eye.
But again, Zack Snyder’s Superman is a far cry from the Superman we know.
Throughout Man of Steel we see a great deal of subsequent scenes that seem to completely shatter the core of the character we all love.
Superman isn’t racing to save citizens from falling debris. Hell, he’s causing mass collateral damage himself, shattering streets, exploding through buildings; no worries in the world what becomes of the tons of concrete, rebar and shattered glass crashing down on anyone and everyone unaware of the catastrophe unraveling hundreds of feet above their heads.
Superman, in Man of Steel feels far closer to a vigilante than a hero. Superman in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice – at times – feels like an outright villain as opposed to a standard vigilante.
There may be 12 minutes in a 151 minute (what in the name of… 153 minutes? You’ve got to be kidding! We’re not kidding.) feature that throw out hints of a somehow humanized character. The remainder of the film is ever worse than Man of Steel… by a long shot.
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice has no soul. It has no humor. It offers no enjoyment. It showcases no humanity. It treats itself as the most explosive comic book film in history. And that, I’d venture to say it is. But what do we care? If Batman’s a total jerk, and Superman spends his time stomping about with the fury of a woman in the middle of her menstrual cycle, why do we give a damn? Why would we invest in a film that doesn’t even understand the basics of human nature?
Sure, Zack Snyder made a big, explosive superhero movie. But he made a big, explosive superhero hero movie that showed not a hint of respect for human beings… or those of who ventured to the nearest cinema.
Zack Snyder didn’t make Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice because he loved, or even had a hint of respect for either character, Snyder made the movie to ensure his bank account grows exponentially in a miniscule time frame.
Congratulations, Snyder. You’ve made yourself quite a bit wealthier. You’ve also shown longtime comic fans that you don’t give a flyin’ F-bomb about Superman or Batman.
Way to gain fans there, Zack – I couldn’t possibly think of a better way to destroy Superman than to pull the ‘man’ from his moniker.
Author Caitlin Kittredge (Coffin Hill, Hell) and artist Steven Sanders (Wolverine) have teamed up to give us what promises to be a balls-to-the-wall joyride. Throwaways sounds like a certified keeper, and we’re pumped to see the book moving forward.
Look for Throwaways to launch in July.
Here’s some valuable 411 from the official press release:
Abby Palmer and Dean Logan are two broken people. Abby is a veteran with severe PTSD and Dean a burnout trying to escape the shadow of his infamous father—but when they are thrust into a modern-day MK-ULTRA conspiracy… They discover they are both ULTRA’s human experiments.
“Throwaways is the comic I’ve been waiting my whole career to write, and I can’t think of a better publisher than Image or a better collaborator than Steven,” said Kittredge. “This book is a collection of everything I love—spies, superpowers, secret history, conspiracies and action, grounded in a big dose of flawed, realistic characters. It’s just plain fun to write this book and I can’t wait for it to be unleashed on the world.”
Sanders added: “Throwaways has been a blast to work on! Just getting to draw ‘real life’ telekinetic fights has been something of a dream come true. I’ve had an itch to draw that sort of thing since I was a kid. It’s also giving me the chance to try out some illustration techniques I’ve just recently learned about. There’s a lot of detail to play with, a lot of action, but also quiet moments to build up tension. It’s hard for an artist to not be excited about a comic like this.”
THROWAWAYS #1 (Diamond Code MAY160548) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, July 6th. The final order cutoff deadline for comic book retailers is Monday, June 13th.
Matt Hawkins, Brian Hill and Isaac Goodhart created a marvelous and engaging tale about a mail man with Asperger’s who finds himself in the middle of an intricate war and a bid for power. Postal is one of the greatest books on the shelf, loaded with fantastic characters and a few great twists, the popular Image title immediately squeezes its way into the must-read column.
And that’s really not a result of the book’s ruthlessness (it can indeed be pretty effin’ ruthless), it’s a result of nurturing of personalities. We care about Mark. We care about Maggie. We even become quite invested in the story’s antagonists. They’re a colorful lot, and the manner in which Hawkins and Hill blur the details and the line between good and evil, we’re never entirely certain of who is shady and who isn’t. I enjoy that enigmatic quality.
A murder mystery with some strong elements of horror (the secret’s floating throughout the town offer plenty of genre fuel, and things only seem to be escalating as the story continues), Postal is one of the greatest books you can read right now. It’s such a refined piece of work that looks and reads in pitch-perfect fashion. Postal cannot be avoided or slept on – it’s just too good for that.
Each arc is being released in collected volumes. You can volume one right here, while volume two can be purchased here. Volume three will be available for purchase next month. If you have trouble tracking down a few of the earlier issues, the old trade paperback is a safe way to go.
For now we want to bring you up to speed on the story, without spoiling it for you. Just in case, you know, you’ve had your head buried in the sand.
Dig on our top moment from each of the first four books.
Favorite Moment from Postal #1
Mark takes a bullet.
Favorite Moment from Postal #2
Mark begins the journey into his family past.
Favorite Moment from Postal #3
Mark meets his mysterious father.
Favorite Moment from Postal #4
Revenge can be brutal and bloody.
Here we offer you a look at each cover from the first four issues, which are what make up the first volume TPB. Speaking of the TPB, we’ve also got a look at the cover for that as well:
Trailers can be amazing, and they can be sleep inducing. They can also be so far from accurately depicting the quality of the film in which they’re designed to promote that one can only shake his head in bewilderment.
You’re going to find a few trailers on this list that may surprise you, not because the overall quality of the trailer, but the overall lack of quality of the films (I’m really looking at you, Green Lantern!) themselves. Don’t be too shocked by a revelation of such nature – major studios pay talented videographers and editors to sit and create a brilliant enough trailer cut to persuade viewers to rush to theaters to check the film out.
Now, onto the list!
X-Men: The Last Stand
Such high hopes for The Last Stand. None were met. Somehow Brett Ratner botches the film, which feels disjointed and – believe it or not – rather boring for noticeable stretches of time. I enjoy the movie, but it’s one of the worst of the bunch. But you know what? This trailer certainly gets the blood pumping. If only the film held something more to offer…
Sin City
Just a genius piece of work from Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, Sin City looked like a slick pic when the trailers initially began rolling out. Then the film dropped and surpassed expectations. It’s a good thing they nailed the trailers for this one, it warranted every bit of support imaginable. Stellar film with a few stellar trailers to pique our interest.
300
Holy hell at how epic this story is! It’s another Miller project landing on the list, and you all know it deserves to be here. The cinematography will leave you speechless and the clash of vibrant and dark, gloomy colors does something special. Another top notch flick to follow a top notch trailer.
Watchmen
I can’t get over how much I enjoyed Watchmen, the film as well as the comic run (still got it!). It’s such a sharp tale drenched in witty plot movements and gorgeously overlapping narratives… it’s almost unreal. Alan Moore’s original tale is stunning, and there’s justice done to that source in Zack Snyder’s massive movie.
The Dark Knight
I can sum this one up with the greatest of ease. This trailer is so epic, so broad and so thrilling, it’s better than half of the stuff we see Hollywood pumping out on a regular basis. ‘Nuff said.
Green Lantern
Green Lantern was bad. No, it was really bad. Nah, scratch that as well. Green Lantern was nauseatingly bad. Force down the bile bad. And it couldn’t even pull off unintentional humor, let alone intentional laughs. The movie has me dumbfounded, just thinking about it. And yet here this is… an absolutely awesome trailer that gives us the idea that yes, it’s going to inject some humor, but it’s also going to be a very grim film. Someone did some slick editing with that trailer, because the film never knows what it wants to be, and that’s just the beginning of the pic’s problems.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Love it. Loads of action. Humor with a slight edge. Charismatic young group of well-casted performers. And tons of crazy outer space warfare. The movie redefines fun, and it’s one of the best on this entire list.
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 looked ridiculous when trailers were being released. We caught glimpses of all sorts of insanity, and we all knew going into the film that not one, or two, but a handful of villains would be making their presence known. Sounded awesome, and the trailer made it look like it was going to live up to the earliest hype. Then the movie came out and went all weirdo, emo, jazz dancing love crap. And then it got worse when we see Venom for like seven tenths of a second, and this all comes after we’ve been let down by a somewhat premature collision with the Sandman.
The Avengers
Umm… do I really need to explain this insanity? I’ll confess to not enjoying the second Avengers film much, but this one was a winner, and so was this awesome trailer.
Batman
Michael Keaton rocked as Batman. Tim Burton had a clear vision for the character. Together they played crucial roles in creating one of the greatest Batman films in history. This trailer may not be loaded with as many explosions we see today, but it’s great all the same. The vintage look of Gotham alone should be enough to make you want to revisit this one.
Blade II
I always feel a little offended when people attempt to tell me that Guillermo del Toro’s Blade II sucked. I thoroughly enjoy the film, which brings more dread to the franchise than the first and the third, and adds intriguing dynamics by bringing two enemies together to battle an even more menacing threat. A threat that stands to potentially leave every last one of them expired. Let’s be real, that new threat is AWESOME and he makes for some ruthless violence. You get a nice glimpse of the amazingness of this film right here in that nifty trailer.
X-Men: Apocalypse
I obviously haven’t seen this one yet, as it hasn’t hit theaters as of the time of this writing, but I’m stoked beyond belief for it. Apocalypse is no doubt one of the nastiest X-Men foes in existence. This one should be good – we know the trailer is awesome!
The Incredible Hulk
After Ang Lee’s 2003 disaster, Hulk, I feared it may not be possible to give this story a high caliber transfer. In 2008 Louis Leterrier proved me wrong. Oh, and Edward Norton slayed! The film is a blast with one of the better finales you’ll find within the Marvel Universe.
Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith scared the hell out of me with 30 Days of Night. It was such an original concept and it was written and illustrated seamlessly. Then word of a cinematic transfer arrived I got nervous, fearing no filmmaker could do the story justice. David Slade did it justice and then some. And the trailer is beautifully haunting, totally capturing the vibe of the film.
Deadpool
Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool is about as nuts as it gets. He’s also loaded with sharp one liners that keep audiences exhibiting a grin on their faces. Ryan Reynolds was born to play the role, and after pushing to make it a reality, he finally got the word to move forward with Deadpool. Thank the high heavens, this movie rocks. And so do all of the trailers to drop. They’re all drenched in self-deprecating humor and hot shot sequences and they’re some of the best we’ve ever seen.
Dredd
I don’t care what anyone says: Pete Travis’ Dredd was an amazing flick. Atypical yet stunning cinematography keep our eyes stuck on the screen, and the breakneck speed of the picture is awesome. It’s insane violence from the jump and it doesn’t subside until a meager five minutes remain on the clock. Check out the trailer for a brief taste of the sublime!
Captain America: Civil War
After finding it difficult to get into Captain America: Civil War, I was totally impressed by the trailer. It’s got a perfectly measured mix of drama and action and I can see how many would flock after a trailer like this.
It’s dark. It’s evil. It’s murder. It’s revenge. It’s The Crow, one of the shining films of the 1990s, and it’s all about revenge on a small gang of hoodlums. The look of the picture is melancholy, so despairing that you’ll probably find yourself feeling miserable about life as the movie moves forward. That’s kind of the idea behind the film, and that idea was captured wonderfully in this trailer.
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
I didn’t think it was possible to make a movie that ensures Batman and Superman will duke it out tirelessly feel boring. Not just boring, but painfully dull, yawn inducing, want my ticket price back boring.
Well, it turns out it is possible. Zack Snyder just made it happen. The only cool parts in this humorless and humanless actioner can be seen in the trailers, so go ahead and watch those while bypassing the ultra-straight edge drama film that has absolutely nothing to do with fun (the film avoids fun like the plague) or realism. Or Superman and Batman as you know them.
From Hell
Eerie, eerie, eerie – eerie! That sums up From Hell perfectly. The story plays pretty faithful to Alan Moore’s brilliant book. There are a few iconic shots in the film and it’s every bit as dreadful as the best Ripper movies out there. The consistency of the picture offered a somewhat easy pass for the man in charge of putting this trailer together. I can’t be mad at that. A good flick is a good flick, and a good trailer is still a good trailer.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
I wish this movie had been good, because it looks absolutely ridiculous. The trailer looks like we’d be dealing with an unquestionable success story. Such was not the case. Sadly, Spirit of Vengeance was kind of a stinker.
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Given how aesthetically pleasing Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy films are, it should come as absolutely no surprise that both films offer some magnetic teasers. The big red beast with a sense of humor and a low tolerance for beer is never a letdown. I’m still hoping for a third live action film, just to bring the story to a very definitive close. Whether we get one more or not, we’ve still got this awesome trailer.
Iron Man 2
I couldn’t pretend to enjoy Iron Man 2 if you held a firearm to my head. It just didn’t do it for me in any way whatsoever. And that’s why the trailer gets a mention here, because the trailer did do it for me. I loved it. I thought they nailed it with a solid look of Whiplash. And then I saw the movie and couldn’t force my mind to become stimulated to any degree. No matter how closely I paid attention, I just kept checking out. Another trailer superior to the film.
Jonah Hex
Okay, I admit it, this is a guilty pleasure film for me. It’s got problems stacked onto of cheese mountains, but it still entertains the hell out of me. There are a few creepy moments that work, but the truth is the movie’s tough to take seriously. The trailer certainly suggests a different film altogether, and I wouldn’t mind seeing it made. Until then I settle for the wicked trailer.
While R.I.P.D. didn’t end up being the outlandish alien-actioner I’d hoped for, it has a few moments. Most of those moments involve Jeff Bridges… not that that’s a surprise. What is a surprise is the trailer itself, which pretty much snags the coolest moments from the film and stuffs them all into a two-plus minute package.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
You wanna talk about absolutely insane movies? Let’s talk about Edgar Wright’s balls out, non-stop shockathon, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The film is every bit as wonderfully nutty as the concept itself, which sees the wildly dorky Scott Pilgrim tangling with seven scorned lovers, all for the heart of Ramona Flowers, a cute but quirky chick. Such a great movie with one of the greatest trailers on this list. Just watch the teaser – you’ll want to see the movie – which is awesome, for the record – ASAP.
I won’t call The Wolverine a masterpiece of a movie, but it’s a whole hell of a lot better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was pretty much a steaming pile of number two. In fact, this trailer for The Wolverine is better than everything about X-Men Origins… that’s gotta say something, right?
Man of Steel
I really don’t want to speak on this movie very much, but I’ll try to get through a brief notation. Zack Snyder erased the man from Superman, and turned him into a violent dude with destruction on his mind. Well, I guess it’s General Zod on his mind, but this version of Superman clearly doesn’t give a hoot about collateral damage or innocent bystanders, which pretty much goes against everything we’ve come to love about Superman. At least the trailer was cool.
Suicide Squad
After the train wreck that was Batman vs. Superman, my excitement for the Suicide Squad film has plummeted. Thus far it seems pretty obvious that the gang behind this new “DC Universe” doesn’t have a damn clue how to make it all come together. It was a nice idea, following in Marvel’s footsteps, but so far that idea has done nothing but backfire. Here’s hoping DC can gift us at least one single awesome contemporary film. I’m not holding my breath, though. Rather, I’m just enjoying this amazing trailer and preparing myself to acknowledge that every good part is featured in this brief cut.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Before comic adaptations were the in thing, Superman was fighting the good fight on the screen. While there’s something to enjoy from each of the first four films featuring Christopher Reeve, the fourth movie was the true blast of the lot. It also had an amazing trailer that had a youngster like me climbing the walls when I original saw it back in 1987. It’s an oldie, but it’s a goodie!
The X-Men may be more popular today than they ever have. That’s a result of the staggering success the group has enjoyed on the big screen. We’ve seen a number of X-Men movies, a handful of slick spinoffs and we don’t believe that trend will end any time soon. In fact, we’re due for another big screen project soon, as X-Men: Apocalypse will be hitting theaters this month. It looks awesome, and Apocalypse is a stellar opponent to challenge our beloved heroes.
In honor of X-Men: Apocalypse we’ve put together a list of the top 10 X-Men villains, and you may be surprised by a few of the names and faces you see. Check it out below!
10 Blob
You’re welcome to spew hate at me for this pick, but I’ve always gotten a serious kick out of the Blob. The last I read of Blob he’d lost his powers, but not his presence. The man is massive and if you don’t think a fat dude can put a beating on someone, you haven’t been paying much attention to Blob.
09 Mystique
Mystique, despite surfacing in a bunch of X-Men movies, is still somewhat underrated as a villain. Throughout the years she seems as though she’s struggled with her identity, uncertain whether she’d prefer to be the terrorist or the heroine. We prefer her in the villainous role, shape shifting into anybody just to dole out some punishment.
08 Sebastian Shaw
The thing about Sebastian is, the more damage you put on the guy, the more he flips it into unbelievable strength and abilities. You can forget the rest of his posse, the Hellfire Club, this dude is the alpha, all the way.
07 Omega Red
Hands down one of the coolest looking and most gifted adversaries the X-Men have ever known, Omega Red’s appearances are always memorable. There are very few enemies I prefer to watch wage war with Wolverine, and there’s a good reason for that. Just look at the dude, he’s a scarier version of Wolverine… and he just so happened to go through some of the same genetic modifications that Logan himself underwent years ago. Weapon X vs Weapon Red? Yeah, gotta love that!
06 Mr. Sinister
An uber bad dude who wouldn’t be an uber bad dude if not for Apocalypse, Mr. Sinister has the ability to basically create and control mutants. Doesn’t bode well for the X-Men. That said, Sinister isn’t untouchable, and despite his abilities, he’s nowhere near the menace that Apocalypse himself is… even if he does look damn cool.
05 Juggernaut
Cain Marko has always been a favorite of mine. He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, and he may not be the most tactical foe, but when the Juggernaut rampages we see big damage. He’s kind of like a cross between the Incredible Hulk and Rhino… and Professor X – his step brother. That’s a nasty combination, but it’s made for some amazing wars with the X-Men over the years.
04 Sabretooth
Okay, full disclosure: Sabretooth is one of, if not my absolute favorite Marvel villain. He’s animalistic and ruthless, massive and imposing. The fangs, the claws, the chops. Good lord. Did we mention that he too is a product of the Weapon X Program? That makes him damn near unstoppable, and that makes him even more terrifying than nine of 10 of the X-Men’s foes.
03 Onslaught
Onslaught kills fools, straight up. As one of the “younger” villains of the X-Men, he’s left an unbelievable mark on the Marvel universe. Inadvertently created by Professor X and Magneto, Onslaught was initially believed to simply be Professor X, but it turned out his origin was a bit more complex than that. It’s too bad we don’t see more of this beast because he’s nasty.
02 Apocalypse
Apocalypse’s time as a mutant far surpass the vast majority of all Marvel characters. He’s basically one of – if not the very first mutant, and that means he’s had tie to hone his skills of destruction. He’s a tyrant, no two ways about it, and in his mind, OTSS (only the strong survive), which means he’s eager to sweep through the X-Men’s ranks and obliterate all but the toughest of the tough. Amazing villain, and it’s going to be great watching him onscreen come May 27th.
01 Magneto
The villain of all villains, Magneto has been the thorn in the side of the X-Men since X-Men #1. He’s a revolutionary with a skewed view of things and an ability to control all metal objects. That means he has no issues doing things like, oh I don’t know, ripping the adamantium right from Wolvie’s skeletal structure! There’s a reason Magneto has remained so popular all of these years, he’s a wonderfully complex character capable of showing compassion and capable on embarking on a mission of destruction. His relationship with Professor X also makes him quite the intriguing character.
I’ll always be a sucker for three specific DC characters: The Flash, Superman and Batman. They’re all compelling characters with great depth, diverse personalities and an assortment of cool villains to tangle with. While we don’t get to see any crazy involvement from The Flash in Superman and Batman: Public Enemies, we get more than enough thrills from Supes and the Bat.
Knowing how much I adore these characters, this is hard to admit, but I get a morbid kick out of any opportunity to see both Superman and Batman made to look like true villains. You can bet with Lex Luthor having been recently elected as the president of the United States, these two are going to take a public shellacking. Lex Luthor doesn’t disappoint.
Luthor plays the manipulator here and gradually encourages the people of Metropolis, as well as every hero and villain alive to view these two in a different light. Obviously, Luthor wants to be done with Superman, and if he can take out the bat in the process, great. But it won’t be easy, even after recruiting every savage you can think of.
So who exactly wants to kill these two? Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Solomon Grundy, Metallo, Gorilla Grodd, Starfire, Mongul, Lady Shiva and… well, the list just goes on and on. And that means that Public Enemies is really just a showcase for every awesome DC character on the roster. It’s a blast to see!
The script is solid, the artwork is beautiful and seeing Superman and Batman bond over tough times is good fun in my mind. The flick is non-stop action, which also holds some huge appeal. All in all, director Sam Liu did a bang up job of creating one of the more entertaining feature length Batman/Superman films.
There are a few things that make this story rather unique. First, we see Ellen Ripley and Call reunited which is awesome and leads to the other aspect of this tale that kicks serious tail: We’re dealing with post-clone-super-modified Ripley. The one we met in Alien: Resurrection. These are two points that immediately won me over, as I’m big on the idea of post-Resurrection tales. Throw in Terminators and Predators and a guy like me – a product of the ‘80s – is just about in Heaven.
We’ve got a Terminator working to create the weapon of all weapons, something clearly capable of disposing of Aliens, androids, clones and Predators alike. This Terminator, who operates under the alias Trollenberg certainly looks to be the major villain of the story arc, but we quickly learn that he’s only one piece of the puzzle. It’s the creature he’s been putting together that poses the real threat. The hulking beast is capable of obliterating everything – Predator, Alien – you name it, with the greatest of ease.
So how in the hell can Ripley and Call bring the insanity to an end, and how do they dispose of what eventually is revealed to be an Alien, Terminator hybrid?
Pretty intimidating predicament.
We won’t dig too deep into conflict resolutions, because you can still get your hands on this book today, although at a somewhat hefty price. It’s not cheap, but it is worth it, and it is a story line that truly has a massive fan following despite some sketchy reviews and – admittedly – a couple hazy plot points. I think the greatest complaint has been that the story itself feels a bit too murky. But in 2016, having now read a lot of Alien, Predator and Terminator books, and seen a few new film additions of each of those franchises, I can appreciate this one for what it aims to do. It’s something of an earlier crossover book (not uncharted territory, but for years a pretty sporadic occurrence), and it falls into a few potholes as can happen in crossover stories, but it feels like a pretty straight forward, even if a little outlandish, idea that’s stronger than more than a single comic I’ve read and film that I’ve seen.
I’ll take this book all day and night. It unites three of my favorite childhood monsters and brings them together for a respectable battle (I’m greedy and readily confess to wanting just a bit more action from the story). I enjoyed this far more than a lot of the franchise books I’ve read – so many in fact I couldn’t even kick off a list. I enjoyed it more than Alien vs. Predator. I enjoyed it far more than Terminator: Genisys. It’s a fun book that doesn’t fall as flat as some reviews might lead you to believe.
Respect goes out to Mark Schultz who writes a fairly convoluted but quite enjoyable and infectious book. As for artist Mel Rubi, not much need be said other than holy hell – beautiful art!
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