The Batman Rises

My condolences go out to the victims and survivors of the Colorado movie theater shooting.  It is shame that innocence lives were lost and forever changed because of senseless violence.  Let us learn from this unfortunate act.  Please know that we stand with you during this difficult time.  You too will rise like the dark knight.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is a grand conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy.  The scope of the movie is larger than life, and as the plot builds to a crescendo, you realize that only Batman can save the day.  More importantly, you desire his success.  I give “The Dark Knight Rises” 5 out of 5.  You need to see it in the theater to appreciate movie.  For a three hour movie, the pace is surprising quick and contrary to what others think.  I felt that the major characters were developed appropriately.  “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” , and the “Dark Knight Rises” are the definitive live action Batman films.

“The Dark Rises” takes place eight years after the conclusion of “The Dark Knight”.  Gotham still believes in Harvey Dent.  Although considered a criminal himself, Gotham is now safe after years of being protected by the Batman.  The Dark Knight is no longer needed because organized crime is eliminated and Gotham is thriving.  However, safety has led to decadence.  The few elite prosper while the majority goes unnoticed in their struggle to survive.  Bruce Wayne, a recluse, has lost track of the details.

 Without warning Gotham is suddenly thrown into chaos, isolated and depressed.  Bane and his accomplice are the culprits.  Bane, a cold hearted but calculate mercenary links his actions to a twisted and perverted message of hope and freedom. In reality, Bane seeks Gotham’s redemption through anarchy and then destruction.  Gotham needs her champion to return.

The Dark Knight Will Rise

"The Dark Knight Rises" finally debuts this Friday.  It will be the third and final movie of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.  People are speculating as to whether he will kill the Caped Crusader.  I hope not.

Nolan's last Batman film - "The Dark Knight" was probably the best comic book movie I ever watched.  It simply transcended the genre.

In preparation, it looks like I be having a Batman film fest!

Man of Steel

Superman has plenty of recent comic book stories that are iconic in nature – “Birthright”, “Lex Luther Man of Steel”, and “Red Son”, but has no similarly iconic movie.  Some would say that “Superman the Movie” is that definitive movie, but it debuted in 1978, so it does not qualify as recent.  Although Christopher Reeve did a marvelous job bringing Clark Kent/Superman to life, but by today’s standards the special effects are dated, which takes away from the movie.  The Superman franchise needs a new reboot.

 Many thought that the 2006 “Superman Returns” would fill that role, but it did not.  It was not a good movie.  The movie tried too hard to be an extension of the original franchise.  It just seemed like Brandon Routh was imitating Christopher Reeve instead of putting his unique spin on Clark Kent/Superman.  Additionally, Kevin Spacey did not make a good Lex Luther because he tried to make him silly.  Lex Luther is a serious billionaire scientist who is both smooth and slippery.  Spacey would have benefited from listening to Clancy Brown’s portrayal of Lex Luther in “Superman the Animated Series” and “Justice League”.  He gets Lex Luther.  I also did not like the Son of Superman tease.  It was cheap and inconsistent with the character.  Superman would not have an out-of-wedlock child with Lois Lane.

 The other problem with “Superman Returns” was its lack of scope and lack of world destroying villain.  Lex Luther is a great co-villain, but a Superman movie needs a larger-than-life all powerful villain like a Brainic, Darkside, or General Zod.  It must be a person that only Superman can stop.

 According to ign.com, there is a new Superman movie in the works – “Man of Steel”.  The trailer debuts this Friday with “The Dark Knight Rises”.  Hopefully, “Man of Steel” will do what “Batman Begins” did for the Batman movie franchise.

Avengers Assemble

I never was an Avengers comic book fan, but I really enjoyed the movie.  So far, it is the best superhero movie of the year.  Marvel Studios did a great job of tying all their individual movies together in a cohesive and entertaining story.  The movie conveyed the story that sometimes there are problems that a too big for just one hero; therefore, you need a team. 

The Avengers was the perfect mix of fighting and humor that you would expect from a comic book movie.  I liked how the movie showed the characters transition from a bunch of individuals who did not trust each other to a team dedicated to saving the world.  I look forward to the sequel.

Resurrection of Spider-Man

Spider-Man was one of my favorite superheroes growing up because when he wasn’t crawling the skyscrapers of Manhattan, he was your typical teenager.  As Peter Parker, the secret identity of Spider-Man, he had to balance the complexities of the high school hierarchy, strike a balance between part-time work and school, and make time to chase and ultimately catch the high school hotty.  Spider-Man was also different from other superheroes because no matter how often he saved New York City, the city never fully accepted him and J. Jonah Jamison of the Daily Beagle labeled him a public enemy (he’d be a terrorist today). 

Earlier this summer Marvel killed off Spider-Man in their ultimate universe.  They gave him a heroic death as he once again saved the city.  Earlier this week, Marvel announced that starting in September; they’ll be a new Spider-Man in the ultimate universe.  The new Spider-Man is not Peter Parker.  He’s Brooklynite teenager named Miles Morales, who’s half-Black and half-Hispanic.  This will mark the first time in history that a person of color will don the red and blue spider costume.

As a person of color and Spider-Man fan, I’m excited to see how the “new” webslinger in action.  I hope Marvel doesn’t take the cheap route and make him the “Black” Peter Parker, but rather develop him into his own person by giving him a distinct personality and background with his own motivations for wanting to be Spider-Man.  With great powers, comes great responsibility.                    

Robin Strikes!

Early last week IGN.com announced that Robin will be a playable character in the upcoming Batman Arkham City, provided you pre-order with Best Buy.  Earlier today, Rocksteady Games released an image of the Boy Wonder.

According to Rocksteady, the playable Robin is none other than Tim Drake, the third youth to wear the read and yellow.  In the comic books, Drake is known for his detective skills as he discovered Batman's secret identity through his own research.

Based on what I've seen and read on IGN.com, Batman Arkham City is shaping up to be a pretty cool game.  IGN.com reports that Rocksteady has fine tuned the combat system, lengthen the story mode, and improved the challenge arena.  In addition to playing as Batman and Robin, players will have the ability to play as Catwoman.

First Class

I joined the million of others watching X-Men First Class last week.  I went into the movie with little expectations and I was pleasantly surprised as it contained a great story and action.  It was cool seeing a young Professor X and Magneto as they complied their team.  The scene with Wolverine was funny.

Batman of Africa

Add caption

DC Comics hits the "reset" button in September 2011 and all their comics will start with new #1 issue.  As part of the re-launch, DC is introducing the "Batman of Africa".  He'll be the first person of color to wear the bat symbol.

As a long time Batman fan, I'm interested to see how DC handles this story.  I'm also interest in whether this Batman will truly be the Batman of Africa, patrolling the world's largest continent, or whether he will be stationed in one city and one country.

The City is the Asylum

Video games based on comic book characters are a mixed bag because they often fail to develop the complexity of the subject characters, or they lack a coherent story that explains why someone is trying to save the world. Oftentimes, it seems that comic books fans are stuck with a superhero themed "beat-um up" or at worst they're stuck with "CD shaped" paper weight.

Batman: Arkham Asylum raised the bar for comic book based video games because it took steps to develop and explain the complexity of Batman's character - expert hand-to-hand fighter and detective - and it actually told a solid and enjoyable story as to why Batman was locked in an asylum with the Joker and his henchmen.

I'm really looking forward to the sequel Batman: Arkham City which is tentatively set for an October 2011 release date. Arkham City is allegedly five times the size of the first game and features classic Batman villains including but not limited to Calendar Man, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, Talia al Ghul, The Joker, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, Hugo Strange, Two-Face, and Mr. Zsasz.

Even Captain America Wonders

In a recent comic book, Captain America and his partner the Falcon prepare to go on an undercover mission with a group that strongly resembles the Tea Party Movement, a conservative and libertarian movement started in 2009 as an anti-tax protest group that opposed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus plan). In the comic book, the faux Tea Partiers hold signs that mimic their real life counterpart's like "Stop the Socialist"; "tea bag libs before they tea bag you"; and "no new taxes". Prior to joining the protest, the Falcon remarks to Captain America that all the protesters are White and that a Black wouldn't blend with the crowd. In the comic, Captain America and Falcon believe the faux Tea Partiers may be a front for a White supremacist and anti-government group.

Batman without Bruce Wayne

I haven’t followed DC Comic’s Final Crisis, but recently I read that at the conclusion of the series, the main protagonist, Darkseid, apparently kills Bruce Wayne in one of the final showdowns of the story. It’s hard to believe, but how can there be a Batman without a Bruce Wayne., the playboy billionaire who devoted his life to fighting the mean streets of Gotham.

Gotham’s Dark Knight

Earlier today I checked out the highly anticipated movie “The Dark Knight”, and I’m happy to report that it’s simply brilliant and worth your hard earned money. I almost never see a movie twice in the theater, but I’m serious contemplating a second look because it was that entertaining. Although the movie clocks in at a little over two hours and thirty minutes, it’s fast paced and efficient in its storytelling. Methodical is one way to describe Christopher Nolan’s directing style as he goes to great lengths to explore the character complexities of the Cape Crusader and his most demented foe the Joker. Each scene builds upon each other until the movie reaches a deafening crescendo of Joker induced chaos.

The acting in “The Dark Knight” is superb as Christian Bale plays perfect playboy Bruce Wayne and kick ass Batman. Health Ledger’s performance as the Joker is truly Oscar worthy because he goes to great lengths to show you the psychotic and violent nature of the Clown Prince of Crime. Lieutenant Jim Gordon, Gotham’s lone good cop, is played by Gary Oldman. Michael Caine plays Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s trusted butler and father figure, and Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucius Fox, the CEO of WayneTech Enterprises and supplier of Batman’s wonderful toys. In addition, Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes and Aaron Echart is introduced as Harvey Dent, the brave and heroic district attorney who’s dubbed “Gotham’s White Knight.” Overall, I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars!

The Dark Knight

I’m really excited about the new Batman movie coming out this summer. It will focus on the early years of Batman and his first encounter with the Joker. The trailers look cool and if it’s as exciting and entertaining as Batman Begins, then this will be a blockbuster movie.

May 2007

I’m really excited about the May 2007 release of Spider-Man 3. From the looks of the previews, it’s going to be action-packed and character driven like the other two Spider-Man movies. I’m most excited about seeing the black spidey suit and of course Venom. Of all the superhero movies, with the exception of maybe Batman Begins, the Spider-Man movies are the best because they stick to the comic continuity, which please the longtime fans, and they’ve found a way to tell and show the Web-Slinger’s adventures without making them seem cheesy.

Zombies, Beets, Spartans, Oh My!

Last night was an interesting affair as I traveled with Aggie and Wonder Bread from the confines of the Carpet Capital to Scenic City in search of a good time. The evening started with an informative discussion on how to survive a zombie attack, as Aggie lives unusually close to a cemetery, so if the undead decided to strike, his apartment complex would probably be the first target of their rage.

The three of us agreed on the following zombie definition: a zombie is a recently dead person whose body has been reanimated and/or brought back from the dead by supernatural and/or scientific means. They have an undeniable craving for human flesh and they have limited intelligence.

The three of us next applied our collective knowledge of zombies and determined that the only sure fire method of killing a zombie is by destroying its brain, or removing its head from its body. We never reached a clear decision on what our weapon of choice would be to fend off a zombie attack. I speculated that the shotgun would be the most effective because of its un-relentless power, but both Aggie and Wonder Bread disagreed and said that the reloading time would be a liability as zombies usually attack in a horde. Aggie suggested an automatic pistol and combat knife, as both were lightweight and could be easily replaced, but I disagreed, stating that there lack of power might be a liability. Wonder Bread thought outside the box and jokingly suggested a chainsaw as his weapon of choice, but quickly conceded that the use of chainsaw would require the zombies to get dangerously close and they could possibly use the chainsaw against him.

We decided to eat at a referred Italian restaurant after arriving in Scenic City. The food was good although the name of the restaurant escapes me. The highlight of the meal came with the arrival of the salad, which included beets. The three of us had never had a salad with beets and needless to say, no one dared eat them, even after much daring.

The evening concluded with a viewing of Frank Miller’s 300. Three Hundred is a historically-inspired movie that loosely depicts the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas battle an invading Persians army of approximately 150,000 led by god-King Xerxes. The Spartans are a race of naturally born warriors who love a good fight and seem to cherish being out-numbered by the Persians. If you like action-packed movies with lots of fighting and little dialogue, but strong story telling, this is a movie with you. I give it a B.

Farewell (For Now At Least) Cap

Captain America is an iconic hero in the comic book world of the Marvel Universe. He was created in 1941 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby to defend America in the comic book world against Adolf Hitler. Cap was spawned when wimpy Steve Rogers, ineligible for the army because of poor health, agreed to participate in the “Super Serum Project.” The Super Serum made his a epitome of physical perfection. Armed with a shield and wearing the colors of Old Glory; Captain American set out to defend America from all evils.

After today, Captain America will no longer defend America because he was assassinated by a sniper as he left a courthouse in a comic released today. I had heard rumors that Marvel was going to “kill” one of their major characters at the culmination of their Civil War series, but I had no idea that it would be Captain America. As far a Marvel characters, he’s on par with Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Hulk. RIP Cap.

Who is Diana?

Wonder Woman is considered by many to be a part of the DC holy trinity – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman. She is Princess Diana of the Amazon warrior tribe of Greek mythology. Diana is the Amazon ambassador to the larger world and awarded several gifts by the Olympian gods, including the Lasso of Truth and indestructible silver bracelets. Many describe her as being as beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, swifter than Mercury, and stronger than Hercules. Mentally, she is an empowered independent female. Physically, she has superhuman strength and stamina, healing powers, unassisted flight, super speed, a master of armed and unarmed combat, enhanced senses, wisdom and intelligence, proficiency in human and animal languages. She stands 6’0 ft, weights 165 lbs and considered the most beautiful super-heroine in the DC universe.

With all this being said, unlike her other trinity members she has not had a modern movie. “Batman Begins” tells the retells the origins of our favorite Dark Knight while “Superman Returns” chronicles the return of the Men of Steel. There have been several internet rumors that a Wonder Woman origin movie was in the works, but never read any definite details. If Hollywood did decide to make a movie about Wonder Woman, then who should play the Amazon warrior princess?

From Funny Book to Big Screen

Superman Returns flies into theaters today. Usually only a few summer blockbusters excite me and this is one of them. I know I sound nerdy, but Superman is an interesting character because he’s portrayed as everything humans should be: truthful, compassionate, tolerate, and strong, but there’s one problem, he’s not a human. The irony is beautiful, he carries the ideals of humankind but he’s not one of us. So, should we consider him a champion of righteousness, or overlook his accomplishment because he’s not one of us? I’m glad Superman’s only fictional character, or I’d have to think about that.

:0)

The hype for Superman Returns has been at a fever pitch for about a week. I only hope the movie lives up to all the hype. As a comic book and movie fan, there’s nothing worst than seeing one of your favorite character fall victim to a terrible movie script. We only know the list of movie underachievers: Daredevil, Star Wars Episode I, and most recently, X-Men: The Last Stand. Hopefully, Superman Returns will follow in the mold of the following five comic book to movie blockbusters, who lived up to and surpassed their hype:

S. Dash’s Top Four Comic Book Superhero Movies:

1. Batman Begins: This movie does a great job of telling viewers why Bruce Wayne dons the cowl and cape, and it does an exceptional job of explaining how Batman gets all his cool toys.
2. Spider Man: Spidy is a hard character to pull off because of his powers. This could’ve been really campy, but Toby McGuire makes a believable Peter Parker and this movie captures the essence of Spider Man books – the interactions between the characters. Spider Man 2 was equally as good, so hopefully Spider Man 3 will keep the tradition going.
3. V for Vendetta: I’ve never read the comic book this movie is based on, but the movie made me want to. It deals with something that hits close to home, the lost of personal liberties as a means of increasing domestic safety. It wasn’t a good idea in the movie, it’s not a good idea in real life.
4. X-Men United: It’s a rare thing when the sequel is better than the original, but this was the case. The movie does a great job of highlighting the various mutants, especially Wolverine, Cyclops, Professor X, Jean Gray, and Storm using their powers. It could’ve been campy, but the director revamped the customers and kept the use of powers under control.

I am Colossus, the Russian Machine

In honor of X-Men 3: The Last Stand, I took a quiz telling me which X-Men I'm most like. After answering a butt load of questions, it was determined that I'm most like Colossus. Here's what the survey said:

"Colossus is the strongest X-Man physically. His love for his family and his sister Illiana make him strong. Although he can be prone to fits of rage, he has a big heart under that organic steel skin. Powers: Can change his skin into organic steel making him nearly invunerable and exponentially increasing his strength."

Which X-Men are you most like? Click HERE to find out.