Wednesday, December 30, 2020

New Comics Day

 

   After knocking off a week for the holidays, today I caught up on two weeks worth of comics. Here's what I picked up at the comics shop:

- Action Comics #1028 - Sorting out some family issues - and an ending.

- Avengers #40 - Who will gain the power of the Phoenix?

- Comic Book History of Animation #2 - Hitting the big time with Disney!

- Norse Mythology #4 - Can Loki save the gods?

- Shang-Chi #4 - Meet the family!

- X-Men #16 - A meeting of the minds. And two giants.


   And I received these comics for review:

Engineward #6 - An ancient ship yields explosive revelations!

Heist or How to Steal a Planet TP Vol. 1 - That's a tall order!

I Walk With Monsters #2 - Is David a monster?

Wasted Space #18 - Billy's purpose may not be what he thinks!


   And that's it!


Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Wonder Woman 1984 - A Review

 

   Delayed by COVID, the second Wonder Woman movie - WW84 - has finally been released to the public, both to those theaters now open to the public, and via the HBOMax streaming service. 

    This movie had a lot to live up to - the first film remains the best of the new generation of DC films (though that's not exactly high praise) - hey, I enjoyed it - with some caveats.

   Which brings us to the sequel. Unfortunately, there are lots of caveats this time around.

   Set in 1984, we find an ageless Diana Prince working for the Smithsonian, fighting secretly as a superhero, and living a lonely existence, still mourning Steve Trevor, the love she lost during World War II World War I (thanks, Dwayne!)

   When he somehow returns from the dead, a new menace appears at the same time - a mysteriously powerful tycoon, Max Lord, is causing strange events around the world, and a new colleague of Diana's - Dr. Minerva - is changing, too.

   The biggest flaw in the movie is that, for most of the movie, the stakes are very low. The villain is just a greedy guy in a suit with an ill-defined power (played in a wonderfully hammy style by Pedro Pascal). 

   The story is full of holes that don't quite make sense. How is Steve alive? How can Steve fly a modern jet? How can that jet hold enough fuel to cross the Atlantic? Where are Diana's new abilities coming from? 

   The big problem is in the writing - the script just isn't compelling or coherent enough to justify the 2-and-a-half-hour running time.

   There are lots of positives, of course. Gal Gadot is wonderful in the title role, and it's her charisma along the the star power of Chris Pine that carry the film. Kristen Wiig is also very good as the Cheetah (though it takes a while for her to get into that skin). It's a good-looking film, and the costumes evoke the time period. But the music seems to be the overlooked element that would have added a lot to the time period.

   It's disappointing. The movie needed a stronger, more coherent script, and better opponents for the good guys. 

   Oh, and stick around for a nice mid-credits scene. It's worth waiting for.


Grade: B-

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Saturday, December 12, 2020

New Comics Day (running late)

 

    Whew! It's been a hectic week, and I was late getting to the comics shop (as ever, the real world - and working for a living - gets in the way).

    Here's what I picked up this week:

- Comic Book History of Animation #1 – How it began!

- Norse Mythology #3 – Classic stories from Neil Gaiman!

- Spider-Man #5 – The end is near for Spidey and son.

- Strange Academy #6 – Away from the campus and fighting for dear life!

- Usagi Yojimbo #15 – A new / old teacher - and a terrible price to pay!

 

   And I received review copies of:

 - Giga #2 - It's the return of the Red Giga - and the end of everything?

- The Devil’s Red Bride #3 – Striking a deal with the Devil!

   And that's it!

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

New Comics Day

 

   Here's what I picked up at the comics shop today:

- Fantastic Four: Road Trip #1 - The vacation from heck!

- Fire Power #6 – A shocking turn of events

- Marvel Snapshots: Civil War #1 – What is Maria Hill doing?

- Strange Adventures #7 – Adam Strange is not a superhero.

- Thor #10 - Don Blake is not a happy man.


   And I received these comics for review: 

- Heavy #3 – Bill may be dead, but he has a job to do.

- Robotech Archive: The Masters TP – Collected for the first time!

- Vampire The Masquerade #5 - Survival of the fittest!


   And that's it!