A New Blog

Last time, I went through each movie of the Star Wars prequel trilogy and gave my thoughts on the films. Now, it’s time we look at the original trilogy, and see if the film’s legacy measures up.

We begin with Episode IV: A New Hope (or just plain old Star Wars, as it was called in the original theatrical release). The film begins in media res, which already makes it stand out. Many times when something begins in media res, there’s backtracking involved to show how the characters got to this point. But, in this case, the setup for what’s going on is worked into the brief intro that is oh so famous, and the dialogue in the first few moments. This brings us to something else that set Star Wars apart; the language. The language in Star Wars was very different from the language other films were using. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and watch almost any other films from the 70’s and try to find some examples of ones where the characters talk at all like those in Star Wars.

It’s interesting how different certain things in the movie seem now, after the expanded universe and the various edits of the film have occurred. One of the most obvious retroactive changes is Han Solo. One of Han’s first lines is about how the Millennium Falcon did the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs. Now, a lot of people initially blamed Lucas for writing something stupid, as a parsec is a unit of distance, not time. Others however, felt that Lucas hadn’t made a mistake, and in the expanded universe endeavored to create an explanation of what the Kessel run is, and how it would make sense for a ship making it in under 12 parsecs not only made sense, but is impressive. However, the real explanation of the line is much simpler; Han was talking out of his ass. He was making shit up in order to try and impress Luke and Ben and get the contract. This makes Han seem well… kinda dumb and cocky. He’s a good pilot, but he clearly doesn’t have anything like credentials to prove it, and while he’s certainly charming, he’s not the brightest guy. You can see more of this by the state of the Falcon. It’s pretty much always in a state of disrepair, with things constantly going wrong, and him and Chewie are always trying to fix it. Another thing about Han that most people watching the movies for the first time wouldn’t quite get; Han’s an asshole. I am of course referring to the infamous “Han shot first” argument. For those of you not familiar, allow me to explain. After he meets with Luke and Ben, Han is stopped by a thug named Greedo. Greedo tells Han that Jabba’s got a price on his head, and Greedo is planning on collecting. Before Greedo can even properly make the threat though, Han shoots him. And I don’t mean a grazing shot as a warning, or a wild shot to distract him, I mean Han shoots him almost point blank from underneath the table and kills him. Han’s also a bit of a coward. He brags about outrunning Imperial star cruisers while talking to Ben and Luke, but Greedo points out that the reason Han has a price on his head is because he dropped a shipment at the first sight of an Imperial cruiser. If he really could outrun them, why drop the cargo? Later on, after the Falcon is brought onto the Death Star, Han hides everyone in some secret compartments, but later says he doesn’t like sneaking around and would just rather go in guns blazing. But after any pretext of stealth is abandoned, we have many shots of Han running away.

So, Han’s cowardly, arrogant, not all that bright, and an asshole. What does this have to do with anything? Well, it’s quite important actually. This is how Han is in the first film, and why his riding to the rescue at the end of it is all the more impressive. Likewise, the person who he is in Return of the Jedi is all the more impressive, because of who he was. In Jedi, he’s brave, selfless, and compassionate. He experiences one of the most dramatic character shifts throughout the films, and growth is always important for characters. Luke on the other hand (points if you catch the joke in that) who is the main hero of the story, doesn’t evolve too much. Sure, in the first few scenes with him, he’s timid, but that goes away as soon as his aunt and uncle die. He also becomes less impulsive throughout the course of the movies, but never quite hits the Jedi ideal of calm.

Now that I’m done with that particular tangent, back to the movies. Specifically, let’s talk about The Empire Strikes Back. Empire is considered by many to be the best film in the series, and while it certainly does have a lot going for it, I have to disagree. It starts off well enough, but after the Rebels evacuate from Hoth, it feels like the film hits a really slow point. The middle just kind of becomes a haze of scenes switching between Yoda and Luke on Dagobah, and the rest of the main cast evading the Empire on the Falcon. The climax of the film though is excellent. It’s also an excellent example of the much higher budget and better technology between the two films. The lightsaber duel between Vader and Luke lacks a lot of the tentativeness of the one between Vader and Obi-wan, and it feels more like a real sword fight but with more telekinesis. And of course there is the dramatic reveal of Vader being Luke’s father, which (from what I’ve heard) was an incredibly well kept secret, and shocked audiences. Overall, I think the film is good, but I felt the middle part was a bit slow (which is a problem for most trilogies in general).

Finally, we have Return of the Jedi, my personal favorite film in the series. The film starts off fairly slow, and only seems to pick up once Luke arrives on Tatooine. However, it slows down again and stays that way for a good long while. There are a couple action scenes such as the speeder bike chase/battle, but overall it feels a lot slower than the others. Even the Battle of Endor is broken up by scenes of the Emperor trying to tempt Luke (in a much less subtle manner than he tempted Anakin, it seems he’s lost his touch) which disrupt the pacing. However, the climax of the film is the what makes the film for me, and why it’s still my favorite. It feels like everything in the film finally comes together, and the ending works very well. Vader’s redemption is the thing that really makes the movie for me, even though it does have some technical weaknesses.

So, does the original Star Wars trilogy live up to it’s legend? Well… honestly, no. It’s great, it’s absolutely great and I love watching the films. But looking at it with a critical eye, the trilogy does have more faults than you’d think it does. I didn’t even really notice a lot of them until I really thought about it. However, the films were the start of an absolutely wonderful franchise that has spanned all forms of media. The other creators who were inspired by the Star Wars Universe and added their own ideas to it made the Universe deeper and (in many cases) better for their creations. The films may not quite live up to the hype, but the Star Wars Universe is certainly worthy.

But will it remain worthy? The sequel trilogy is in the works, and that is the subject of my next entry. Until then, may the Force be with you.

A long time ago...

... I talked about Star Wars, in brief. But, with the upcoming sequel trilogy, I thought it might be a good idea to do a bit more in depth talking about one of the most successful media franchises in history. And then I realized that there's just too much to say in a single post. So, to that end, I'm going to be discussing the films in a three part series. This one will focus on the "past" or the prequel trilogy, the next one will discuss the original trilogy, and the final post in the series will be about my thoughts on the upcoming films.

The Star Wars Prequel trilogy. Is there a cinematic subject more prone to anguished shouts of disappointment? Probably, but not many. The prequels were one of the most anticipated cinematic experiences in my brief lifetime, and perhaps one of the most anticipated events in general. People who had grown up with Star Wars were so eager to have their questions answered, most importantly of course being how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. The sheer amount of anticipation for the film was it’s own downfall however. No film could have lived up to such high expectations, and many decry the trilogy as a disaster. While it certainly does have its problems (moreso than the original trilogy), I don’t think the word disaster is appropriate. I feel that the trilogy is overall good, and I’m going to make my case by looking at the good and bad of each of the films.

Episode I the Phantom Menace is where we begin out journey, as is only logical. The overall plot of the film isn’t bad, and the acting is for the most part good. Most people only have a problem with the kid who played Anakin, which I can understand, but at the same time child actors are very rarely any good, and for good reason. However, one of the film’s biggest flaws is the accusations of racism. The Trade Federation leaders are depicted with strong influence from east Asia. Watto, the greedy, slave owning junk merchant has been noted to have many Jewish traits. And who could forget Jar Jar Binks, the newest in a long line of black minstrel stereotypes. This is a legitimate problem with the movie, and one I am quite frankly surprised was over looked. Still, I don’t feel that it’s necessarily an indication of George Lucas being a racist, merely a very, very big lapse in judgment on the part of him and the others who worked on the film. The film also suffers from some pacing problems, as it feels to drag at certain points, particularly on Tatooine with the pod race.

Before getting into the specific films, there are two problems that are pervasive throughout the trilogy that need to be addressed. First, there is the over-reliance on the use of CGI. While I’ll gladly say that there are things done in the films that wouldn’t have worked without the CGI, and while the CGI is for the most part well done, there are moments when I feel that they would have gotten better results from using the same tricks that were used in the original trilogy. In particular, I feel that Yoda worked better as a Muppet than as a CGI model, though I understand that they wouldn’t have been able to do the fight scenes with Yoda that way. The second problem (which is really only a problem with the first two films), is the amount of comedy in the films. While the original trilogy had some good, funny moments, they were few, and all the better for being so few. The original trilogy also mostly stuck to verbal humor, while the prequel trilogy had more silly sight gags and slapstick (especially involving Jar Jar).

However, beyond those problems, the film is pretty good. As I said before, the acting is solid, with good performances by Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, as well as the other cast members. The story is, while not spectacular, certainly not as convoluted as other films, and other than the pacing problems works well. Perhaps one of the most well received parts of the movie were the visuals. Everything looks different from how it did in the original trilogy, but not so different as to think that we’re in a whole different series. There definitely feels like the two looks are distanced from each other by time, much as a modern car would from one from the 1920’s.

Episode II: Attack of the Clones is the worst of the trilogy in my opinion, and I think most would agree with me. While many of the racist stereotypes have been toned down, the film suffers other problems. Let’s begin with the writing. There are numerous plot holes in the film, though many of them are not immediately apparent. I could spend a very long time pointing out every single one and boring you all to death in the process, but I’d rather just say that the script needed to go through another stage or two of editing to simply catch the mistakes. But the minor plot holes aren’t the only writing problem. No, there’s also the romance scenes between Anakin and Padmé. Now, this is interesting because George Lucas has actually recognized this problem with the films, and the problem is that Lucas can’t write romance. The romantic scenes feel very artificial and forced, despite the effort on Natalie Portman’s part to work with the material given. Now that writing’s out of the way, we can talk about one of the film’s biggest and most obvious problems; Hayden Christensen. You would think that finding a talented actor to play Anakin Skywalker would’ve been top priority for the film, considering the trilogy is primarily about his character’s journey. Instead, they found one of the worst actors to ever star in a blockbuster film. If he were playing a minor character, this wouldn’t even be a huge detriment to the film, but no, he’s the LEAD character.

Now, while the film certainly has it’s flaws, there are some good points to it. The dialogue between Obi-Wan and Anakin for example is actually really good, and you can get a very good feel for their relationship with each other, as well as the character depth. Once again, the visuals are well done, especially the climactic duel at the end (I absolutely love the lighting during the close-ups between Dooku and Anakin). The acting on the part of everyone other than Hayden Christensen is quite good, particularly on Ewan McGregor’s part. He’s obviously trying to bring a lot of the same qualities to the role that Sir Alec Guinness brought in the original trilogy.

At last, we come to Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. This is pretty much universally considered the best of the prequel trilogy, and even on par with the original trilogy. But, while it might be the best of the trilogy, it does have problems. The most obvious of these is once again Hayden Christensen. While his acting has improved a bit since Episode II, he’s still stiff and unbelievable. One thing I will say in his favor though, is that he does well in the fight scenes with the lightsaber. Now, the next biggest flaw with the film is the ending. I think you all know what part I’m talking about. The part where Padmé dies from sadness, in what has to be the lamest death in any of the films. Honestly, the part that annoys me the most is that they could have quite easily made her death more plausible. All Anakin would’ve needed to do would be to throw her in anger, instead of just dropping her when he was force choking her. A hard enough throw would’ve wreaked havoc with her, and the strain of childbirth could’ve pushed her body past its limits. But no, she just dies of sadness. I know, I know, it is technically possible to die of sadness, from something called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (or broken heart syndrome), but there’s no sort of indication for that, and in the context of this story, it still feels like a cop-out. Another problem I have isn’t so much as what is present, as what is not. What I mean is that there are a series of deleted scenes that show the founding of the Rebel Alliance. They’re very important to the overarching continuity of the series, and I’m disappointed they’re not in the final cut of the film. They’re included on the DVD, but all the same. My last major problem with the movie is with one of my favorite characters; General Grievous. Grievous was a bit of an oddity in the film. He’s introduced in a similar manner as Darth Vader was in Episode IV, but unlike with Vader, there’s almost no explanation about who he is, where he came from, or what is up with that cough of his. Some of that is shown in the original animated mini-series The Clone Wars (the one done by Gendy Tartakovski, not the one that’s still running), but not everything. I know many people that went and saw the film but who hadn’t seen the mini-series, and were confused by his presence.

Now, as far as positives go, there’s more here than for the others. First, unlike the other two movies, it doesn’t really suffer from the pacing problems the first two did, and is quite even. Next, the writing is much better, especially over Episode II. There’s little of the awkward romantic dialogue (but there’s still a cringe-worthy moment or two), and few obvious plot holes (the only one I can think of is the convection issue on Mustafar). The tone is also much more serious than either of the other prequel films, which is only fitting, as this is Anakin’s final steps into darkness. Once again, the film is quite good visually, and has some of the best fight scenes in the whole series (the one between Palpatine and Mace Windu I feel is underrated by most). The humor is toned down, mostly taking the form of a couple good one-liners (mostly from Obi-Wan), but it provides the touch that was needed to keep the movie from being too dark and brooding. Finally, the thing that I applaud most about the movie is also the thing I feel most sickened by; Anakin’s actions in the Jedi Temple. It is a truly, horrific, and undeniably evil thing that he did, and I am glad that Lucas didn’t shy away from putting it into the film (if only as an off-screen thing, which I think we were all glad of). While it’s not the only horrible thing he does in the film, it is the MOST horrible, made even worse by the fact that he does so not out of anger or fear, but because of a cold rationality. It truly shows that Anakin is no more, and he is Darth Vader, even if he’s not in the suit yet.

These are my thoughts and feelings on the prequel trilogy. I'll probably get a lot of shit for saying that I actually enjoyed them, but oh well. You can't please everyone (as George Lucas found out with these movies).

The man, the myth, the legend...

While fighting a losing battle with insomnia the other night, I stumbled across this trailer, for an upcoming film. Now, I don’t normally critique films, particularly based solely on their trailer, but I’m making an exception here.

So, the first thing that came to mind after I finished watching this was “how is –this- Hercules?”

For those unfamiliar with the character of Hercules, first welcome to the outside world, glad you’re out from under that rock finally. Second, here’s a brief guide to Hercules (or Heracles, if we’re going with his original Greek name). Hercules was born to a woman named Alcmene, and was one of Zeus’ many children. Hera, Zeus’ wife, was very annoyed with her husband’s constant sleeping around, and decided to take out her anger on the young Herc, sending a pair of serpents to kill him as a baby. Unfortunately for her, Herc inherited some of his dear old dad’s power, and killed the snakes easily. He eventually grows into a fine young man and marries a woman named Megara and has two children with her. Hera, still nursing her hatred for him, decides to induce in him madness which causes him to murder his children (and in some accounts Megara too). He seeks out an oracle who tells him to serve King Eurystheus for ten years. Eurystheus assings to Herc twelve labors he must complete to end his service; slaying of the Nemean Lion, slaying the Lernean Hydra, capturing the Golden Hind, capturing the Eurymanthian Boar, clean the Augean stables in one day, slay the Stymphalian Birds, capturing the Cretan Bull, obtaining the Girdle of Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazons, stealing the Mares of Diomedes, stealing the cattle of the monster Geryon, stealing the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, and finally capturing Cerberus. He completes the tasks, sometimes with the help of others, and is freed from service.

Now, there are obviously many, many more stories of Hercules, since he was a major character in Greek mythology and had a sizable cult dedicated to him. This however is the myth that most people are familiar with (though most people can’t remember what all the labors are, myself included. I cheated and looked them up.) Now, because the labors are the most familiar stories about him, they’ve obviously been taken on in film before. The Disney film Hercules, while not expressly about the labors, does feature many of them in his “zero to hero” montage. There was an NBC TV movie about Hercules doing four of the labors in 2005, and before either of these, there was Hercules: The Legendary Journeys TV series, which was launched by a couple of TV movies that dealt with the twelve labors. Clearly, the labors stories have been done to death, so it is nice to see the creators of the film going in a new direction with the character. However…

The plot that the trailer is alluding to does not seem to bear any resemblance to any of the myths involving Hercules at all. Not only that, but it’s also taking some fairly serious liberties with the character, most notably his ability to call upon lightning. While he was the son of Zeus, he never had that power. In fact, Zeus’ lightning bolts were seldom (if ever) used by someone else. Hercules’ only real power was his incredible strength, and also his sexual prowess (with both women and men it should be noted). The film also seems to portray Hercules as a leader of an army, which does not fit the character. He was certainly brave, charismatic and had his moments of cunning, but he was not a brilliant tactician, and would have made a poor general.

So, why does this movie exist then, if they’re not actually trying to tell a story of Hercules? Well, a couple reasons that I can see. First, sword-and-sandal films seem to be a popular genre right now. Hollywood’s always had a love affair with guys in the desert wearing sandals and armored skirts, usually with chariots involved. They were huge in the early days of film, but the interest in them died off during the 60’s and 70’s. That’s not to say that there weren’t any such films made, but they were fewer. However, there’s been something of a recent resurgence in the interest. Movies like Troy, 300 (and it’s upcoming sequel), Prince of Persia, The Scorpion King have been getting some good love at the box office. Certainly, not as much as other genres of film, but enough that studios will invest in one even if it seems a bit poorly conceived. There is something in the public consciousness right now that makes people want to see these movies, even though for the most part they’ve been pretty bad (Prince of Persia, Clash of the Titans and Immortals all come to mind immediately). Some have done really well such as 300 and Troy, (though in my opinion, both are highly overrated), and even the ones that didn’t receive good reviews at least brought in good money (Clash of the Titans netted almost 500 million, Wrath brought in 400, Immortals was 225, and Prince of Persia was at 335 with the lowest profit margin). So, we can see why there’d be an interest from the studio’s perspective.

But why call the film Hercules? The character is clearly only Hercules in name and the names of people associated with him. Why not just make up a character and put him in this situation? Or why not actually draw from the myths? Well, for the first question, the answer is pretty simple; recognition. People have all heard of Hercules, so there’s a level of familiarity there. People have proven time and time again that they’re more likely to accept something they’re familiar with rather than try something new (which is why the last three presidents we’ve had all got elected to two terms). Even though this Hercules is hardly recognizable as Hercules (especially the voice. Seriously, the dude sounds semi-British, how is he allowed to play a Greek?) the name has enough cache to get people into the theater. The second question, about why not just stick to the material is a bit more complex. First off, we have to go back to the issue of the labors. They’ve been pretty extensively depicted in the media, and while familiarity can help draw in an audience, too much familiarity will drive them away. There’s also the issue of time. A movie covering Hercules’ origins, rise, and then the labors would be very long, and there’d be a lot of details lost on viewers. Okay, so the labors are definitely out. Why not do a different story about Herc? Well, that’s not as easy as it sounds. First there’s the ever present issue of familiarity again. Then there’s the issue of what a studio is willing to allow in a major motion picture. A lot of Hercules’ stories involve subjects that most studios don’t want to be associated with (murdering children, pederasty, homosexuality, etc), so most of the stories he’s involved in aren’t something anyone wants to adapt into a potential blockbuster. Finally, there’s the idea that the studios know what the audience wants. In order for the studio to make money, they have to make a film that will attract audiences, and as stated earlier, audiences accept things that are similar. So, the studio hires someone to write a script that incorporates as many plot and character clichés as they can, puts them in a somewhat interesting order, and boom, potential money-maker. If past performance is any indication, the film will probably bring in around 300 million at the box offices, meaning the studio will have made about 230 million, not bad for about ten months worth of work. If it turns out to be a blockbuster, then we’re talking even higher profit margins, though I honestly don’t have high hopes for it.

So, after all this, what’s the take away? Well, simply put, this film is not Hercules, and is in fact just another generic flavor-of-the-month cash piñata for the studio. As I stated at the beginning, I don’t normally take on films (especially unreleased ones). So why did I this time? Because the movie claims to have its roots in mythology, which is a subject I not only have a fascination with, but also love dearly. The characters and stories that ancient cultures told as ideals that they held themselves up to is delightfully complex and intriguing, and not to mention artistically inspirational. Plus, the stories are generally pretty interesting in and of themselves, ignoring any sort of anthropological connection. For anyone trying to figure out college (or high school, if you’re lucky) courses to take, I highly recommend anything about mythology, especially if the course is about something other than classical myths (Greek and Roman). Worst comes to worst, you’ll get to hear some gory and dirty stories. But if you’re like me, you’ll find endless sources of inspiration for gaming, art, writing, or pretty much any other sort of creative outlet.

(Now, because I am writing this about a future film, I’m going to say this; if it turns out I’m wrong, and the film follows the source material pretty well and the film is overall pretty good, I will –gladly- admit my mistake. Most of the time, I don’t mind being proven wrong.)

EDIT: So, I just found out that there is in fact ANOTHER Hercules movie coming out next year, a couple of months after the one mentioned above. Sadly, there's no trailer for it yet, but it stars Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock), and is titled Hercules: the Thracian Wars.  I'm wondering which came first of these two, and if maybe the second one was created to try and steal the thunder from the other. Either way, I don't foresee Thracian Wars being any better than The Legend Begins, even if it does have Robert DeNiro.

Comic Reviews

It's been a few weeks since my last post. I promise to try and get better about them in the future. Once again, I have a pile of comics to review, followed by a bit of news.

Deadpool, issues 4 & 5: I finally received my first two issues of Deadpool via my subscription. Issue #4 was a little disappointing. It certainly advanced the plotline in fairly short order. Too short, in fact. It felt as if the pace was being rushed, getting rid of the presidents nobody ever hears about (Van Buren, Polk, Taylor, etc) just so nobody has to worry about them and the writers don't need to be clever. Issue #5 however was much better. There was some good comedy, and the plot continued forward at a reasonable pace. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the ending definitely makes me want the next issue badly. There is, however, a couple problems I had with the artwork in the book. In one panel, the hilt of a sword is clearly on backwards, and there's a pose in another panel, which I just found absolutely ridiculous. The art isn't my favorite style, but it's good, and I think it fits with the tone of the book.

Thunderbolts #2: I decided to give Thunderbolts the benefit of the doubt, and picked up the second issue. Overall, I was pleased with it. I was a fan of Way's writing from the previous Deadpool series, so I'm not surprised that he manages to do a fair job here, especially getting a couple good one liners from Deadpool. Dillon's artwork is a good match to the tone of the book, although for some reason the Punisher's face always looks... off somehow. It looks like somebody doing their hardest to impersonate Sylvester Stallone. His face just never looks natural. Elektra, Ross, and Venom (for the few panels where his face is visible) all look fine, so it's just Punisher, which is odd. I'm glad that the plot moved forward in this one. The previous one, it just felt like nothing really happened. I'm looking forward to picking up the next couple issues, and getting caught up.

Thor: God of Thunder #2, 3, 5: I picked up all the back issues of God of Thunder that I could, plus the new one. The series continues to be as strong as the opening issue, if not stronger. The jumps between the three different time periods flow more naturally now, integrating with the narrative quite well. I'm absolutely loving the story, it's something that's never been touched on with Thor before, and it's being handled excellently. I'm also enjoying the artwork quite a bit. It's got a nice, soft painterly sort of feel, using no lines at all. It adds a certain sense of the classical to it, which fits with the style. Also, I love that Thor's lettering is unique. Though there are lots of other gods in the books, they all have standard lettering, save for Thor.

I also picked up a new book, one I'd been very interested in.

Superior Spider-Man #1: For anyone who hasn't heard, the true Peter Parker is dead (supposedly). Otto Octavius, formerly Doc Oc, switched his mind into Peter's body. However, he does have a lot of Peter's memories, and has decided to give the hero thing a go. It's interesting, seeing Spider-Man in a whole new way. It's not Peter Parker calling the shots, because it's the right thing to do. Otto's got his own reasons for doing things, and his own ways. I'm really intrigued to keep reading, and looking forward to picking up the back issues.

That's all the comics I picked up to review. So far, I've been very pleased with the Marvel NOW reboot. I obviously haven't picked up everything, but from what I've seen, they've got good teams on the books. My only problem (and I feel that this is a problem that's been going on for awhile) is how many similarly titled books there are. I mean, there's Superior Spider-Man, Avenging Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-man, and that's just for one character. There's I think three X-men titles as well, with a fourth coming out in the near future (which I'm excited for), and four Avengers titles. For new readers, it's hard to tell what the book's going to be like, and what the differences are.

For anyone who pays attention to my Facebook posts (which I'm assuming is anyone reading this), my own fledgling steps into the world of comic creation have been going well. I have been working on the character designs for the first arc of my own comic series. I am planning on having it setup as a webcomic, and if it gains enough popularity, selling print copies of it as a graphic novel. I'm going to need help getting a place on the web setup for the comic, so if anyone is willing to help with that, I'd love to hear from you. Oh, and of course, if anyone has suggestions of new comics, I'm always happy to hear them.

Comics, of the print variety.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of comic books. Ever since I was a small child, I have been a fan of a variety of super heroes. However, my love of them came not from comics themselves, but from the television series they were in. I remember well watching the old Superman cartoons, an old video with some of The Fantastic Four, and the 90's Spider-Man and X-men cartoons as well. But I'd never picked up a single comic. This trend continued for a long while, while my interest in the heroes remained kindled through TV and later film. Until, that is, Iron Man hit theaters. It was upon seeing that movie that I decided I would make an effort to start reading comics. I've had limited success, given how few places there were to purchase comics in my old hometown. But I have managed to finally get into the hobby a bit, and I've found a place to buy the comics from that feels comfortable enough that I like going in. I'm hardly an extensive reader, due to a lack of funds as well as simple ignorance; I don't know what's good and what's not. It's not as though that's all that shocking. There's dozens upon dozens of different books out there, each with their own creative team, and it's hard to figure out which ones are good based solely on the cover. I have a general knowledge of a lot of the books, as far as what the main characters are like, but I've no idea how good the writing is, or what is currently going on in most series. It can be overwhelming, to become a new reader, when you go into a shop and see a massive wall filled to the bursting with comics featuring characters you've never heard of, multiple different titles about the same character, and trying to find a book that you can actually pick up, read, and understand what's going on without having to research the comic's history.

Fortunately for me, Marvel has started their "Marvel NOW" initiative, wherein they've restarted a bunch of titles, but without wiping away the history of some of them. A lot of the titles didn't seem interesting, but a few did, and thus I picked them up and began reading. Here now, are my thoughts concerning the books I picked up.

Deadpool, issues #1-3. Deadpool was one of the first books of the NOW movement, and started back in November. The first thing I had heard about the series, prior to its start was that they were switching to a completely different creative team. I had read a few issues of the old Deadpool series, as well as heard its praises sung by many people, and so I was of course a little upset when I found out that such a wonderful team was being replaced. When I read the first issue, it seemed like my fears were grounded. The dialogue didn't seem to flow quite naturally, and the puns seemed terribly forced. Not only that, but the art, while good, wasn't as good as I had seen from the previous book. However, I'd already bought the second issue anyway, so I felt I may as well read it. I'm very glad that I did. It seems like the writing managed to find the proper flow, and began to feel natural, which included some good humor (as any Deadpool book needs). The only problem I have with the series thus far is that Deadpool's signature little yellow boxes are gone, which is a shame. However, one of his inner voices has been replaced by Ben Franklin, so I can't complain too much. Issue three continued the trend set by two, and I was pleased to see that. I look forward to receiving future issues, as I was given the wonderful gift of a subscription to Deadpool by my beloved.

Thor: God of Thunder. Thor's been one of those heroes that has always intrigued me, mainly because of the fact that he's based on one of my favorite mythological figures. I'd never been able to get into the series though, because it felt... off somehow. I read a description of what was going to be happening in the God of Thunder series, and found myself interested enough to actually pick up the first issue. When I opened to the first page, I read of an account of Thor tracking down and defeating a troll that had been harassing a viking village, followed by the celebration of its death. It was wonderful, everything I'd hoped for when I picked the book up, and the rest of the story didn't disappoint. The writing was engaging, telling an interesting story with good pacing so that I never felt a single page drag or move too quickly. The artwork was likewise great, fitting the style of the writing superbly. My only complaint is that I didn't pick up the other issue that was available at the time, because I definitely want to see where the story goes.

Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts is a superhero team that I know next to nothing about. If you had told me a year ago that I'd be picking up an issue of it, I'd be asking why. But when I saw the lineup they had for the series, I was more than a little intrigued. Deadpool, Venom (Flash Thompson), Red Hulk, The Punisher, and Elektra all on the same team? That struck me as more than a little odd. Elektra and the Punisher had never really interested me all that much. Red Hulk I was only mildly interested in. But I'd been reading the Venom series that had Flash paired up with the symbiote, and I'd thoroughly enjoyed the few issues I'd managed to acquire. Deadpool has always been one of those characters that seemed like he couldn't be part of a team for any length of time. So, I had to pick the first issue up, just to see what it was about. I then found out that the writer for the series was the same one as for the old Deadpool series, which pleased me, and made me want the book more. I was pleased with the book, but not as thoroughly as I was hoping. The pacing of the whole thing was kind of slow, and it focused mostly upon General Ross (Red Hulk) and Punisher, but I feel that the slow start may be a bit necessary. I'm certainly still interested, enough to pick up the next issue when I get the chance.

I'm looking forward to the next chance I get to walk into the comic shop and pick up my desired titles. If anyone has any recommendations, by all means, leave a comment. I'm always happy to hear suggestions from people about things I may like.

Arrapha!

*dusts off the old blog* Well, it certainly has been awhile since I've gotten to do this. I've been very busy lately, but I finally have time as well as a sense of purpose enough to do a post.

Many of you are aware that a few months ago, I moved into a new apartment complex. Not too long after moving in, my love and I became acquainted with our neighbor, Amon26 (as he is known upon the internet). We learned that he was a game designer/artist, and an all around cool guy, who we became fast friends with. He's currently working on his latest game, a horror/comedy game called Arrapha. I thought it might be fun to sit him down for an interview, in order to get some answers about the game, and share the answers with my readership, as a way of helping to spread word about the game.

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Me: What is Arrapha?

Amon 26: I guess it’s my attempt to take the stuff I really liked as I grew up and mix it with the stuff that’s come along since,  the better methods of storytelling and the attitude, and see how far I could take that and make a game that I would want to play.

M: Where did the idea come from?

A: It actually started off as a discussion between Jessica and I about The Addams Family, about Gomez and Morticia and how odd it is that they’re bound together. We thought how it’d be fun to trade characters that were really different from each other. A kind of John Q Everyman, and a very cold and ruthless  villainess. And I decided just for fun, I should draw the hero. And then, just for fun, I should draw the bad guy. And then, just for fun, I should make the engine for it. And then I realized well, I’m making a game, I may as well go for it. It was too much fun to do down the road.

M: So Keith is inspired by Gomez Adams, anyone else?

A: James Dean, Indiana Jones, Ash from Army of Darkness. We wanted a guy who shoots first and asks questions later. A guy who always lands on his feet, even if he really doesn’t know where he’s landed. The whole, immovable object meets an unstoppable force kinda thing.

M: How ‘bout Runira?

A: We got the idea of her of course from Morticia, and we also got a lot of ideas from her from Malificent, along with some of the wardrobe of Marilyn Manson, along with some people Jessica and I know, who are just larger and life, but you really don’t want to be on their bad side. We wanted to make a Count Dracula, who was more… not charming, but more complex. Someone who wants to do more than just drink blood for all eternity. Her control is exact and unwavering. Anyone who thinks differently is destroyed immediately. So, Keith is kind of a fly in her ointment.

M: What’s your process for creating the artwork?

A: Even though it’s digital, I do a lot of stuff by hand. I grew up doing a lot of drawing, I don’t really use a whole lot of scanners, or anything like that. I’ll start with a rough sketch and usually take a photograph and rotoscope over that. Sometimes I’ll start digitally. It all depends on what works best for the idea.

M: Are there any artists whose work influences your own?

A: A whole bunch of them. Ralph Stedman, a guy who really has no idea how to draw, but draws in ways nobody ever thought to try. Katsuhiro Ottomo. Then, lemme see… when I try to think about my inspirations, I can’t. I grew up with the people who did a lot of the old Nintendo games. Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania and all that. I grew up saying I was going to make the next Megaman. I grew up with the Disney cartoons like Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck, and Gargoyles.

M: What is your favorite kind of pie?

A: Apple Pie. I love Apple pie.

M: There are opportunities in the game where you get to ride a giant chainsaw. Are there going to be other such opportunities to do amazingly cool things?

A: Yes, yes there are, but I haven’t done them yet. I don’t want to commit to them until they’re done. I don’t want to say “you’ll be able to blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah” and then when the game comes out say “oh yeah, sorry but I wasn’t able to do that.”

M: You’re currently trying to raise money to fund Arrapha. Have you considered dragon slaying? I hear it’s quite lucrative.

A: Um… I did but I took an arrow to the knee. If it wasn’t for the arrow related injury, I’d be all over that.

M:How did you get into making games?

A:Acci- well not accident. Um… fun. This is really what I enjoy, and I’ve really been a feverish game player since I was seven years old. It came to the point I decided I should stop talking about making a game, and not be afraid of how bad it could be or how it could fail. It ended up being a game called All of Our Friends are Dead, and I put it out and said “here it is, I’m sure you’ve played better.” And it started getting attention, I started getting emails from people saying “do you have another in you?” “where have you been?” And it just kept going. I really enjoy entertaining people, and making games is something that I just decided to try and do it. And people haven’t gotten sick of it yet.

M: Do you have any plans for once Arrapha’s done?

A: I have a whole bunch of different games I’ve been wanting to do, and a bunch of different ideas. And there’s a few unfinished projects I have floating around that I feel strongly about. But it all depends on if there’s a big enough pull, a big enough audience, and if I have the time and energy to finish it. But, right now I’m just focusing on finishing Arrapha, and whatever life presents me with, I’ll deal with it.

As was mentioned in the interview, Amon is currently trying to raise funds for Arrapha, via IndieGoGo. If you are interested in donating to have the game funded, or are interested in additional information, check it out here.

Expect more frequent updates from me in the future. Until then, may your days be ever nerdy.