Category: Comics

Random Thoughts on Iron Man 3

After an action-packed ensemble adventure in The Avengers, Iron Man gets the stage to himself once more in Iron Man 3. The movie is definitely fun, but not as good as the first two Iron Man movies or The Avengers. Director Shane Black adds more humor and snark while retaining the awesome mech-fueled action of his predecessor, Jon Favreau. Unfortunately, his storytelling isn’t as tight and his movie doesn’t have as much heart. Here are some random spoiler-free thoughts on Iron Man 3.

When Did Jon Favreau Get Old?!? — The first thing that caught my attention in Iron Man 3 has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. Seconds after the opening credits, I was shocked to see how old Jon Favreau looks. I knew he was getting larger, but his face was a harsh reminder of my own mortality. He’ll always be that fresh-faced newbie Angeleno in Swingers to me. I can’t believe that movie is as old as McKayla Maroney. Gah.

Jokey Jokesters — My friend Paul and I agreed that this movie had much more humor than its predecessors. The first two had funny moments, but the jokes were interspersed with a little bit of drama and lots of action. The gags in Iron Man 3 are more frequent and felt forced or excessive at times. Especially when…

…Tony Stark is Being a Dick — While Robert Downey, Jr. was expectedly excellent, some of the material he was working with had an unusual tone. The previous movies did a wonderful job of establishing Stark as a narcissistic and womanizing genius that has substance issues and a growing conscience. For some reason, this movie unveiled his dickish side. It lead to some funny exchanges, but seemed out of character. Stark can be stubborn, self righteous, and overzealous — both in the movies and the comics — but there are moments in Iron Man 3 where he’s unusually cruel. Even though Downey delivered the lines with aplomb, the meanness felt out of place.

Mandarin Surprise — When I found out that one of the Iron Man 3’s protagonists was the Mandarin, I was worried. The character works in comics, but is a bit too ridiculous for movies. The movie version of Mandarin was not at all what I was expecting and it totally worked. Keep in mind that I usually hate major deviations from the source material (Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, for example), so I was shocked by how delighted I was with movie Mandarin. Of course it helps that a master thespian like Ben Kingsley completely owned the role.

Executive Mocking Continues — I love how the Iron Man movies poke fun at real-life executives. In Iron Man 2, Sam Rockwell showed qualities of Microsoft Bill Gates and Apple Steve Jobs while playing Justin Hammer. In this film, Guy Pearce takes several cues from Virgin Group Richard Branson. I’m looking forward to Iron Man 4, when Tony Stark will battle a Mark Zuckerberg pastiche, complete with a menacing hoodie powered by Extremis.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Abs — While I vehemently disagree with People Magazine crowning Ms. Paltrow as the most beautiful woman in the world (she wasn’t even the most beautiful woman in Iron Man 2), she’s still a lovely creature that takes exquisite care of her body. Borrowing a page from Padme Amidala’s playbook, Paltrow’s Pepper Potts shows a lot of skin during the movie’s climax. Her stomach looked marvelous and made me dream of what it would be like to eat sushi off of it. It was so yummy that I probably missed some cool tech sequences while I was mesmerized by Gwyneth’s abs.

No Dual Villains — One of the reasons I enjoyed Iron Man 2 so much is that it had separate villains for Iron Man and Tony Stark. I enjoyed that Whiplash menaced the superhero Iron Man, while Justin Hammer threatened businessman and technologist Tony Stark. This is a layered and complex hero, and I loved that the second movie had antagonists for different facets of the character. With that in mind, I was disappointed that the third movie didn’t do the same.

Pacing and Surprise — Iron Man 3 flows at a consistent but predictable pace. The first two movies did a better job of using humor, action, and drama to mix things up. While this movie isn’t paced poorly by any means, it just feels very by-the-numbers. That’s all on Shane Black, who simply isn’t as good at dealing with Iron Man as Jon Favreau was.

Bottom Line — Iron Man 3 is definitely entertaining and enjoyable. It has bigger and better action than the first two movies, but as a whole I don’t think it’s as good. The actors are better than ever in these roles, but the direction and writing have taken a dip. A few of my friends and a few critics have said that Iron Man 3 is the best in the series and the best Marvel movie to date. While I enjoyed it, I completely disagree with that assessment. After seeing Iron Man and Iron Man 2 in theaters, I wanted to see it again. After the Iron Man 3 screening, I’m content to wait for the Blu-ray.

Thor: The Dark World Trailer

As RPadholic tokz mentioned in the RPad.TV Google+ Messenger group yesterday, the new trailer for Thor: The Dark World is pretty badass. It’s full of mystical action, otherworldly creatures, and beautiful people. The trailer lays the groundwork for the inevitable Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) vs. Sif (Jaimie Alexander) cat-fight fan-fiction that will flood the Internet later this year. Throw in the buxom Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and I’m totally down.

Seriously though, the trailer looks great. The tone of the movie seems more appropriate than the original. A few of you had problems with Thor’s ever-present smile and happy-go-lucky attitude while he was exiled in New Mexico during the first film. This film seems darker and less goofy.

Check out the trailer below and let me know you think (please!).

HISHE Super Cafe Meets Swingers

Here’s a mashup of two of my favorite things: the “Super Cafe” sketches from How It Should Have Ended and the movie Swingers. This clip mimics a scene at the end of the movie, with Superman playing Vince Vaughn’s character, Batman playing Jon Favreau’s character, and Elastigirl (The Incredibles) playing the girl making baby faces. It’s very well done and “super” cute. Continue reading “HISHE Super Cafe Meets Swingers”

Kick-Ass 2 Trailers

Here are a pair of trailer for Kick-Ass 2. The first one gives all the major characters equal time, while the second focuses on Hit Girl. As a fan of the comics and the first movie, I’m super looking forward to this one. Also, Chloe Moretz is on the cusp of becoming a beautiful woman. It’s borderline inappropriate to even be talking about it…which is fun in that Hermione kind of way. Anyway, check out the clips when you get a chance and let me know what you think (of the movie and Chloe). Are you looking forward to Kick-Ass 2?

The Beautiful Women of Captain America: The Winter Soldier

After reading those awesome rumors about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I had to do some…research on the beautiful women in the film. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) Above is Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), accompanied by Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), and Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter) below. This is a gorgeous cast, don’t you agree? Continue reading “The Beautiful Women of Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Movie Info

Entertainment Weekly has posted a bunch of great info on the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie. As a huge fan of Ed Brubaker’s Captain America comics featuring The Winter Soldier, I’m really looking forward to the film. Be sure to read the full article if you’re interested in the movie. Here’s a summary (with some minor spoilers for those of you not familiar with The Winter Soldier):

  • S.H.I.E.L.D. head honcho Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) should play a major role in the movie
  • Cap will be teaming up with super spy Black Widow (the oh-so-sexy Scarlett Johansson)
  • Sebastian Stan will be reprising his role as Cap’s sidekick, Bucky Barnes, who was reincarnated and cybernetically enhanced to become The Winter Soldier
  • The voluptuously sexy Hayley Atwell will appear in flashback scenes as Cap’s old flame Peggy Carter
  • Emily VanCamp will play Cap’s current love interest, Agent 13…who happens to be Sharon Carter
  • Cobie Smulders will return as S.H.I.E.L.D. second-in-command Maria Hill
  • Anthony Mackie will be playing Falcon

In addition to The Winter Soldier — one of the coolest comebacks in Marvel Comics history — there’s a lot to love about these revelations. Being a heterosexual male, I couldn’t help but notice that this movie is bursting with babes! Between Scarlett, Hayley, Emily, and Cobie, there will be a lot of beautiful and talented women to drool over watch. Score! Also, Falcon is a potentially cool addition, but I’m a little wary of the whole “talking to birds” thing. That said, I’m excited to see his costume and CG flying scenes.

What do you think of the latest news on Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

Source

[Thanks for my pal Jennie for posting the link!]

Comixology’s Marvel #1s Promotion Reborn April 11

Remember the failed promotion by Comixology and Marvel that started at the SXSW conference and ended with the mother of all gamma-irradiated server-issues? The promo — which gives Comixology users access to more than 700 Marvel #1 issues — will be making a comeback on April 11, 2013. At least, that’s the date I received in a recent email (if you have another date, please let me know in the comments section). This time around, access to the promo will be tied to your Comixology login. Here’s an excerpt from the email update I received:

On Thursday, April 11th, we will begin sending out invites with your personalized link to access over 700 FREE Marvel #1 issues, so be on the lookout for your email!

Once you receive your Marvel #1 invite, you will have 48 hours to choose your FREE Marvel #1 issues!

I was able to nab just under 20 #1s before the servers crashed. Hopefully a private link system will help Comixology manage the traffic.

If you’re not a Comixology member and want to take advantage of the promo, click on this link to sign up. If you’re already in the club then please let me know what free comics you pick up later this week.

Coffee Talk #574: Where Are the Superhero Movie Games?

My friend Paul and I were talking about the large number of 2013 nerd movies that don’t have videogames attached to them (at least, that we could think of). In the past, these games were automatic. If a studio had a superhero, sci-fi, or fantasy movie set for release then there would be a game — usually not a spectacular one — released in conjunction with the movie. The game would help promote the movie and the movie would help drive game sales, at least that’s what the bean counters thought. This year there seems to be lack of videogame-movie symbiosis. Where have all the superhero games gone? Are publishers…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the start of the glorious MLB season, the start of what should be a painful MLB season for my beloved Yankees, or the worst team in the whole damn league (Houston Astros) kicking things off with a win, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

My friend Paul and I were talking about the large number of 2013 nerd movies that don’t have videogames attached to them (at least, that we could think of). In the past, these games were automatic. If a studio had a superhero, sci-fi, or fantasy movie set for release then there would be a game — usually not a spectacular one — released in conjunction with the movie. The game would help promote the movie and the movie would help drive game sales, at least that’s what the bean counters thought. This year there seems to be lack of videogame-movie symbiosis. Where have all the superhero games gone? Are publishers holding out for a hero?

Off the top of my head, Star Trek: Into the Darkness is the only movie that has a hot game attached to it. Where are the games for Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and others?  One possibility is that movie studios and videogame publishers have learned that mediocre games have few or no symbiotic benefits. History has shown that good movies don’t need mediocre games (Thor, Iron Man) and great games don’t need the rub from movies (Batman: Arkham Asylum). Another possibility is that PC and console games are no longer the best choice for this type of outreach; it’s much cheaper and arguably more effective to promote a movie with a decent Facebook or mobile game.

Still, as a comic-book and videogame nerd, I would love to be playing console games based on this year’s nerd movies. How about you guys and gals? Do you want more videogame-movie tie-ins? What’s your take on why there seem to be less of them this year? Fire off your repulsor rays, blast your arctic breath, and sling your uru hammers in the comments section (please!).

Comixology & Marvel: When Free Promos Fail

At the SXSW conference, Comixology and Marvel launched an amazing promotion that served up 700 comic books for free. As expected, millions of people attempted to download those issues on the Comixology web site and through the company’s apps. As expected, the service was overloaded and rendered useless since the promotion was announced. As of this writing, I’m still unable to download comics (including ones I’ve already paid for) through the app or view them on the web site.

It was bold initiative by Comixology and Marvel — a fantastic way to attract new customers to the wonderful world of digital comics. Unfortunately, the failure showed the dangers of digital content to creators and consumers alike. Comic book publishers have been unable to sell anything during the service outage; this is particularly painful for independent creators that only publish digitally. Existing Comixology customers have been unable to buy new books or download those in their digital lockers. The aggressive promo by Comixology and Marvel to nab new customers has resulted in a total failure to serve existing ones.

Comixology CEO David Steinberger wrote a blog post about the failure and the suspension of the promotion. Here’s an excerpt:

We expected a high degree of excitement for the Marvel initiative — and had believed ourselves prepared — but unfortunately we became overwhelmed by the immense response. We’re still struggling to keep our systems up.

The result is that you aren’t getting your comics when and where you want.

We don’t like letting you down. Our teams are working around the clock to resolve these issues so that you can have the experience you’ve come to expect.

Steinberger also posted a link where customers can sign up to be notified of when the promo will be active again. The link was dead for several hours after the post went up, but now appears to be working.

While I’m a huge fan of Comixology and digital media in general, this was a nice reminder of the dangers of relying on digital services. Computers crash. Servers fail. Paper, while having its own issues, is free from those problems. Having said that, this hiccup isn’t enough to make me buy physical comics again. The convenience is just fantastic. I love that I’ll have hundreds of comics on my tablet during my flight to the Philippines tomorrow. I love that I’ll be able to download new issues while I’m away.

Unfortunately, Comixology and Marvel have made digital comics look bad to new customers due to incompetence and a lack of preparation. First impressions are hugely important and this service outage has made Comixology look like chumps.

Comixology Submit Offers Self-Publishing

The wonderful Comixology service has introduced a self-publishing program for independent creators called Comixology Submit. The service allows creators to publish digital comics for free and receive “50% of the gross sale after credit card fees are taken out.” Arists and authors retain the rights to any works submitted to Comixology. This is a potentially huge opportunity for creators to take advantage of the largest digital distribution service for comic books.

The service has me thinking about comic books that I’ve scripted. I was working with an artist 11 years ago on a comic, but it never progressed beyond rough plots. Since I suck at art, perhaps one of you would like to take a nab at bringing a comic book to life? If so, I’d love to use something silly that Zoe Flower and I wrote nine years ago called The Adventures of R.Pad and Z.Kitty. It’s a fantasy tale that’s full of inside jokes about our friendship. While I don’t expect to sell many (any) issues, I’d love to have one ready for her 40th birthday in July. I’ll publish the (really) rough text of the fiction next week while I’m away in the Philippines.

So I have two questions for you today. First, are any of you interested in submitting to Comixology Submit or browsing through new independent comics through the service? Secondly, who wants to help me bring The Adventures of R.Pad and Z.Kitty to life?