COSMIC TREADMILL: 'AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL: BLACK WIDOW & PUNISHER' (REVIEW) at FORCES OF GEEK

Ramping up for the big Cap movie this weekend got us all excited, preened and pumped for some small screen Marvel action, NOW!

The weekend brought us to the store for a DVD copy of Thor: The Dark World and a stranger, peculiar animated relative (second cousin?) Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher.

Mixing Anime and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I think) made for a great sequel to the Madhouse produced Marvel Anime series, but underserved as a rally cry for this weekend’s live-action Winter Soldier. The Cosmic Treadmill ran with this on the HUD, and here’s what worked and what didn’t! 

The Punisher, for better or for worse, has always been a favorite Marvel character. I grew up with his War Journals, his Armory, his War Zone and throughout the ‘80s. Artists like Jim Lee Mike Zeck drawing Frank Castle and his family’s murder was my raison d’être! One day, I thought, I’d be rich and sexy enough to buy Amazing Spider-Man #129. I thought wrong!

As for Black Widow, co-star of this movie and The Avengers, I’ve only been interested since Iron Man 2. ScarJo’s stoic yet sexy expressions and her trickery over Loki in The Avengers certainly puts her in the front lines of the squad, but ‘back in my day’ Black Widow was second string. I have more Mockingbird comics in my long boxes than Natasha Romanoff!

Either way, story wise, this is a great pairing. You know what you are going to get with Frank Castle. He’s the opposite of Batman—killer, judge, jury, executioner. Black Widow, a former Russian spy, now S.H.I.E.L.D. spy under the thumb of Director Nick Fury (Cinematic, Samuel L. Jackson version) is one who must answer to military protocol and her higher ups.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE FIRST LOOK

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble on Disney XD debuts this Sunday, May 26th. Marvel Television has released the first half of the one hour premier on exclusively on iTunesfor free for fans to get a first look at the show. The cancellation of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes last November made some fans upset, but Jeph Loeb and the Man of Action Team have set us up for another smash hit. We’re guessing the 2009 Disney buyout of Marvel is finally flexing that animation muscle.

 
Marvel TV has released an early preview for Avengers Assemble. This version of The Avengers is more in line with the look and feel Marvel NOW! comics and the Ultimate Spider-Man television series. Costumes are updated to match Marvel’s The Avengers movie as well.

The last episode of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was a practical Secret War of guest stars including The Fantastic Four, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ant-Man and Wasp. The Avengers defeatGalactus and the Earth was saved at the last minute as Iron Man and Thor knocked the planet eater into the Negative Zone.

IRON MAN - Avengers Assemble

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes aligned itself with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a way, based on the Robert Downey Jr. voice clone Eric Loomis as Iron Man, the movie responsible for kicking off the franchise.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - Avengers Assemble

The first season had guest stars and the introduction of deep cut Marvel/Jack Kirby creation Black Panther, and Marvel/Roy Thomas Avengers The Vision and Ms. Marvel.

The show was good, not great. Certainly this is a step up from the young generation Muppet Baby versions of The Avengers in Super Hero Squad.

HAWKEYE - Avengers Assemble

DC took a chance of it’s own on investing in a darker-tone teenage superhero team adventure with Young Justice, existing in a universe all it’s own.

The chance was all too risky, and Warner decided not to renew Young Justice for a third season. Fanboys cried when they also cancelled the strangely CGI animated Green Lantern: The Animated Series Saturday morning show on the same day. From DC, we’re promised a CGI version of Beware The Batman starring Bruce with Katana as his sidekick facing off against villains like Professor Pygand Magpie. Fans of the ’90s Bruce Timm Animated series may have problems adjusting to the look of the show.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: SUPERMAN: UNBOUND

Superman: Unbound is the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie based on an Action Comics arc written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank. Though not bogged down by New 52 continuity or pre-Flashpoint Superman Family architecture, the movie does a fair job at retelling the story of the five part Superman: Braniac in 75 minutes. Rumors are that this could be the last DCAU movie set in the old timelines, so continuity buffs and those wishing to celebrate Superman’s 75th birthday this year should give this a chance if you have not already. Since the story references Silver and Golden Age Superman subjects like the Bottled City Of Kandor and Collector of Worlds, this is both a movie for new fans anticipating Man of Steel and those with the House of El’s shield tattooed on their arms. Speaking of which, Supergirl is in for the action too.

 
Our story opens with Lois being abducted by some bad dudes in all black swat outfits from The Daily Planet. Perhaps a nod to our favorite Superman joke, Lois is in a pink outfit (and later has a pink phone and a pink laptop). She’s amazingly calm, because in this version, Lois and Clark are boyfriend and girlfriend. He has a way of saving her from these things.

It turns out that she’s not going to be rescued by big blue because he is dealing with an earthquake elsewhere. High over Metropolis, Miss Lane is in the back of a helicopter, almost helpless if not for her wit.

Heeding the call for action Supergirl uses her powers to defeat the bad guys until Kal shows up.

Cousin Kal reprimands her for using excessive force. This serves the story as an opportunity to introduce the villain of the movie, Braniac. Though not a direct sequel to Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, one can see this as the introduction of the character of Kara-El, cousin to Kal-El Superman.

Lois and Supergirl - Superman Unbound

Both movies rely on Supergirl’s motivations to drive the main story, in fact my girlfriend pointed out to me that the first film should really have been called Superman/Supergirl Apocalypse, as Batman and Wonder Woman were secondary characters.

Even with the amazing Andrea Romano as voice director there are still old fashioned gender issues in mainstream media.

Back on Krypton, before the explosion and Kal being sent to the Kent Farm, older cousin Kara witnessed a ship helmed by Braniac invade the capital of Kandor and slaughter many innocents. As the collector of worlds, Braniac bottled the city after shrinking it and he put this among his collection. Kara’s parents survived the blast and live in the bottle. Kara now can’t stand bullies, so she feels justified using so much force.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for February 13, 2013

COMICS

An Uncanny X-Men book returns to the Marvel Universe with a new #1, this time with Cyclops as the leader of the X-Men. A great companion book to The All New X-Men timeline by Bendis, Uncanny is a drawn by the amazing and polarizing Chris Bachalo. … Another Marvel NOW! book dominates the picks with Nick Spencer’s Secret Avengers #1 drawn by Luke Ross. These Avengers are so secret, they hardly know they are on the team! … TwoMorrows Publishing delivers a series of books journaling the history of comics and the origin of our favorite heroes. Here’s a great one including Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Marvel Madness and the formation of the Justice League of America with the revolution of the 60s as a backdrop. This edition of American Comic Book Chronicles covers 1960-1964. Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for December 12, 2012

COMICS

Move over Battle Royale and the toxophilite Hunger Games, we’re trapping Darkhawk, The Runaways and Avengers Academy students on an island in Avengers Arena #1. Well played, Marvel Now!. … Stark Drones are after Tony, but luckily Ultimate War Machine is there to shoot those robots out of the sky in the 3rd issue of a four issue limited series Ultimate Comics Iron Man. Learn more about Howard Stark and the evil Mandarin in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe—the first two issues are great! We were there, reporting Live at the IDW Publishing panel at New York Comic Con in October when we heard the gasps and applause for the announcement of Star Trek Newspaper Strip Vol. 01. All phasers on stun, can you imagine if there was an Into Darkness comic strip in the paper these days? Khan you? … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: WHAT’S NEW WITH MARVEL NOW!

Marvel NOW! is an exclamation, a reaction, and a well needed shot in the arm to the Marvel Comics properties this fall, 13 months after the reboot of the DC Universe known as DC New 52. The blockbuster movie summer is over and the company seems to be aligning the characters with the now familiar on-screen versions of our heroes. It’s not at all strange to see these announcements right after The Avengers Blu-ray hit the shelves. Here’s what we heard about and read about the Marvel NOW! books at New York Comic Con this weekend.

Shocker! The Amazing Spider-Man is 50 years old this month and is approaching issue #700!

What happens after such a long string of numbers? They decide to call it quits and start again at a new number one.

We were aghast to see this happen to Detective Comics and Action Comics last year but really we got over it, especially with Grant Morrison taking on Superman and NYCC celebrity all-stars Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo dropping Batman #13, reintroducing The Joker last week. The relaunched Spider-Man title will be The Superior Spider-Man, (January 2013) written by longtime Spidey-writer Dan Slott. Here’s the rub though—it ain’t Peter Parker behind that mask, and he’s making out with Mary Jane. No secrets about this hero revealed at the Con, but the new Spider-Man is someone we are familiar with in the 616.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 23, 2011

COMICS

 

Excelsior! Fifty years ago, Fantastic Four debuted as Marvel’s grounded in reality super family, sprouting from the minds of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. 50 years on, the selfsame World’s Greatest Comics Magazine celebrates 600 issues, natch! We hope will we finally see the return of the Human Torch! … Families have their share of complicated history in the Marvel Universe, and as you belly up to that Thanksgiving table, be thankful your twin brother isn’t in The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Catch Avengers Origins Quicksilver And Scarlet Witch over some pumpkin pie. … Terry Moore continues his nifty art school series this week with How To Draw #2 - Expressions. Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week

COMICS!

It’s October now. There is a sharpness in the appetite for the flesh as the cold snaps the air! Vertigo is reprinting its 1995 epic The Eaters, a story of your average American family, The Quills, who happen to find human meat delectable. … Penguin: Pain And Predjudice, written by bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz, delves deep into the past of Gotham’s deformed rogue gang leader from swaddle to waddle. … Avengers: 1959 by American Flagg’s Howard Chaykin is a period tale of Nick Fury’s Avengers with the flavor of Mad Men or this summer’s X-Men First Class. Fury leads his team of Sabretooth, Kraven and Namora to track down a secret Nazi cloning gang! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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