Marvel Prints.

In what seems like an idea that I was shocked they already hadn't done before, Marvel has started selling prints of some of their more famous covers. I am thinking about getting a Wolverine #1 but I am pondering the size and if I should tell someone to get it for me for Christmas or my birthday. The framing option is nice, but very expensive. If I get a copy, I'm just going to frame it myself.

Of course I could scan in my copy and print one out and frame it, but I'm hoping they're printing these from the scans of the original mechanicals they did for the digital comics, so it will be a pretty clean print. It would take a couple of hours to do that if I did it myself.

Marvel Casting News

Marvel has released the first picture of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in Iron Man 2. I'm...not quite sure what to say. I don't really know Whiplash as a villain, but thought they would have gone with someone more interesting like Crimson Dynamo. I just watched The Wrestler and thought Rourke did an okay job. It was a really weird and dramatic movie, so it'll be interesting to see what he brings to the table in Iron Man 2. I think Favreau did an amazing job with the first Iron Man so he's got a lot of my faith. But...I'm still not sure about this.

In other Marvel movie news, apparently they have cast Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the upcoming Thor movie.

And in other other Marvel movie news, Spider-Man 4 is on. Tobey Maguire, Sam Raimi and (unfortunately) Kirsten Dunst are back for this one. They haven't released who the villain is going to be but early speculation is the Kingpin based on reports that it's a "New York villain" or something. I thought Daredevil handled the Kingpin thing just fine, and I've never really thought of him as a Spider-Man villain. I much rather would see the Lizard just because they've had Curt Connors in the last two films. He's not one of my favorites but he'd be alright. I think my first choice would be Kraven, actually. The Sinister Six sounds really cool but after they totally over-saturated us with three villains in the last piece of shit Spider-Man movie, I shudder to think what they would do with six.

May 2009 Reads Part IV.

Avengers: The Initiative #24 - This book is starting to get very interesting. I've been reading it off and on, but I think it's finally going to make it onto the regular pull list. There is a lot going on in this book, and they constantly refer back to earlier stories and characters, so it's a little tough for me to follow right now, but things are changing very rapidly for this team and it's starting to come together in a pretty good way. There might be a couple of factions and there will definitely be a lot of disgruntled heroes in the Initiative by the time it's over. It's been a pleasant surprise lately and I'm going to keep on reading.

Guardians of the Galaxy #14 - This one was a little bit of a disappointment, as it was mainly a set-up issue for next month, but I'm hoping that next month's issue makes up for it. One thing I like about the series are the "interviews" that are interspersed throughout the story, and I don't think there was one until the middle of the issue. It was long enough for me to notice, and then there was one when I flipped to the next page. So there was a lot of action going on in this one, but I enjoy the interviews because that's where most of the comic relief takes place. Speaking of comic relief, Rocket and Groot were missing from most of the story, so maybe that's another reason why I thought this one was just average. By no means am I thinking of dropping the title, I was just a little disappointed because I look forward to this series the most. But this was one of those issues that needed to be there to advance the story, so I'm not too mad. Hopefully it will return to it's regularly scheduled awesomeness next month.

Incredible Hercules #129 - This one was a whole lot of fun. Herc and company head to the Underworld (the one ruled by Pluto, not the normal Marvel underworld ruled by the Kingpin or Doom or whoever it is this week), which is a casino in Atlantic City. All kinds of hi-jinks ensue. I don't think this one had much of a flashback involved, which is when the series really shines, but it was a very entertaining issue and, as usual, I can't wait to read it when I get home. I'm also excited that it's going to be coming out twice a month soon, it's going to be double the awesomeness. I can honestly say that I've never read a bad issue and if you're not reading this series, there is something wrong with you.

Moon Knight #30 - I've been debating about dropping this one. The latest arc has been entertaining, but it's mainly because of the Luchador hitman twins more than the main character. And I'm a big Moon Knight fan, so it's been a little tough. It does help that it looks like Moonie is going back to New York to try and take on Norman Osbourne, so I'm kind of wondering why this story arc even existed. I guess they just didn't have anything planned for the book or know how to use him. I thought the issues with the Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers were great and I was expecting a lot more of that. But the last couple of issues have really wondered from that path and I can't really say that they added to the series because they're kind of irrelevant now; as I said, he's going back to NYC to basically pick up where he left off. And that seems like the norm for the Dark Reign Era, a lot of books are on this alternate tangent kick for 5-8 issues and then now they're back to normal events (I talk about it later in regards to the Wolverine series). And in my opinion it cheapens both events; it cheapens the current arc because it's essentially a throw-away story that doesn't add anything to the character(s) development, and it hurts the bigger event because it starts and then stops what's going on. I just don't think Marvel was fully prepared for how much their books would change with this thing. I'm going to hope for the best and give Moon Knight some extra rope because he's one of my favs; if he wasn't I would have cut this book already.

New Avengers #53 - Lately, I've been very having a very hard time with the books that Marvel has bumped up to $3.99 because there's no "added value". The page count is the same, the content is the same, so why the extra dough? I really have a hard time with this when one of my favorite comics that are regular price is released in the same week. This was still a good issue, but I got way more enjoyment out of Incredible Hercules than I did out of this one and Herc is the normal price. So, why am I paying more for this? Especially when it seems like a lot of these stories are stretched out for months rather needlessly. To review the book, it was good, there are a lot of funny and great moments, I just don't think it justifies the extra dollar.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #41 - You know, I really haven't been the biggest fan of the current story arc. I'm glad it's over because the next arc looks like it's going to be good. I do like that they take a break from all of the heavy stories and do a caper/heist arc every once in-awhile, but this one was just, weird. It didn't have a lot of Gryph, especially in the last issue, and that's where these caper/heist stories are most entertaining. But that's a moot point because this arc is over with, and I think it will be back to more of the mystery/reveal part of the series, as two of the characters have some backstory that needs to be explained.

Star Wars: Legacy #36 - This issue was so bad I didn't even bother reading it. They're doing this thing where every couple of issues they focus on what's going on in different parts of the Galaxy and, seriously, I just don't care. They're always overwritten and half the time I just know know or care what's going on. And it's always disappointing when I open an issue to find out that it's not about the main storyline. I was REALLY disappointed this time, but I tried to read it. I got about a page and a half. Just way too many words and way too much story about things I don't care about. I really don't even remember why I started buying this one, I'm really considering dropping it at this point.

Wolverine #72 - So this one FINALLY came out, and it was pretty good. I still think (and from what I read, a lot of people feel the same way) that Marvel screwed the pooch on the releasing schedule and they've confused a lot of people. The fact that this one concludes in a one-shot doesn't help matters. They should have just made it a seven or eight issue (or whatever it's up to now) limited series. But I don't think they had a plan for this title in-between Secret Invasion and Dark Reign, and this was probably something they had plotted for it's own series, so they just stuck it in as a place holder until the book becomes "Dark Wolverine". As I said, it was pretty good, including the Red Skull psychotic monologue where he dons Cap's costume like Buffalo Bill in "The Silence of the Lambs". The ending was kind of lame in my opinion; they basically spent seven issues and it's going to end exactly where everyone thought it would. The last panel did give me some chills though. I'm hoping for a lot of punching and slashing in the finale.

Wolverine: First Class #15 - For some reason I keep buying this series, even though every month I have the conversation with myself in the store that this book doesn't contribute to anything in regards to current events or current continuity, but every month I buy it and every month it's a fun read. This one is no exception. Thor alone would be enough, but Kitty's crush on him and the first couple of pages where she is trying to get Logan to get Thor to drop by her school so she can impress her friends was an added bonus. Plus there are a lot of funny moments like where Thor kind of stumbles through Wolvie's "Best There Is" line and the part where Wolvie's logic for getting introduced to Thor; there are three super heroes around, SOMETHING is going to happen. Smartly written and entertaining. I'm sure I'm going have the same conversation with myself next month, but I'm going to keep buying this one.

Wolverine: Origins #36 - Yeah, three Wolverine book in one week. Pretty rough. Can't you spread these out over the month, Marvel? Wasn't that the point of having multiple Wolvie books? In regards to this issue; I guess I don't remember what happened in the last issue or something is out of order or I accidentally skipped an issue or something because I don't remember where the beginning of of this issue picked up from. The ending was pretty disappointing because this whole arc has been setting up a confrontation between Wolvie and Dakan after Daken has two of his claws coated in the Muramasa blade's metal, and when that happens, they cheat the audience and it doesn't really happen. Very disappointing.

X-Force #15 - This story was just starting to get good and then they had to fill a couple of pages of useless dialogue and fighting right before they hint that Apocalypse is going to make a comeback and then they end it with a "to be continued in the next issue of Cable". This means; A. I've gotta buy another issue of Cable, which is a series I've been chomping at the bit to drop, and B. It didn't say "concluded" it said "continued", so there's AT LEAST one more issue of some book, be it X-Force or a one-shot that will finally wrap this thing up.

X-Men: Legacy #224 - For a book that has been prominently featuring Gambit and Rouge, who are two characters that I don't particularly care for (especially Gambit, Rouge I'm kind of just indifferent to) as well as the Danger Room robot (a story line that I thought was pretty ridiculous, even for a comic book), this one wasn't that bad. It was pretty entertaining. I was kind of shocked by that. It did kind of wrap up the current story arc, so at least we're moving on to bigger things next month. If you believe the solicitation for next month's issue, it says that Xavier's Legacy journey ends, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Just a Quicky

I found this too damn funny to pass up posting it – from Twitter user @shanemoon.

A Punishing Read

Not since the days when they introduced Sarget Slaughter into the world of G.I. Joe have I seen a crossover this ridiculous. Marvel feels it will be profitable to pair Frank Castle with Slim Shady. That's right ladies and gents (as if chicks would read a blog this deep in nerd-dom) the Punisher's new side kick is Eminem.

I guesss they're trying to reach a new audience, but lovers of the sly tongued toehead seem a far cry from comic book fans. With the (sort of) recent popularity of graphic novels, comic books have pushed closer to the main stream. The problem is that the Eminem stream seems like it would flow from a different source entirely...in a different country...and would be salty, somehow.

This is yet another instance where I would have loved to be in the pitch meeting for the idea. "For Marshal's next album, we should see if we can team him up with somebody equally as rebelious and cool...like the Punisher!! Yeah, cause he's a vigilante and he does whatever he wants in order to bring down criminals, and Eminem says whatever he wants...mostly to bring down panties, but still, there's definitely a similarity. Maybe this will spawn a new category of Rap that differentiates itself from gangsta rap and calls itself "vigilante rap".

From what I read on Twitter, it's every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. One of the links lead to a preview of the Eminem stroke-fest that is the Punisher/Eminem book. But I warn you, wait until at least a half our after you've eaten to read it, unless you're trying to slim down.

Terminator: Salvation Review

I saw Terminator: Salvation Monday morning, and I liked it. A lot. Looking at reviews on the internet, not a whole lot of people have that opinion, but I enjoyed it a lot, and I think it did a lot more for the franchise than Rise of the Machines did. I also saw Star Trek the day before (we really don't need a third review at this point) and I have to say that I enjoyed the Terminator movie just as much if not more than Star Trek.

Now, maybe that's because I grew up with the Terminator movies and never really watched Star Trek at all (except for a couple of seasons of Next Generation), so I might be a little biased, but I think a lot of people are a little too harsh when they review the movie. Yes, it has faults and flaws, but so did Star Trek. I thought the first half of the movie was perfect, the action sequences were great, and the way it was switching back and forth between each part of the plot was well done. It kind of broke down a little in the middle, but then it ramped up for the end. Yes, the ending was predictable, but supposedly they are all signed on for a trilogy, and I thought that for the first part of a trilogy, this movie didn't do a bad job of setting everything up.

I think if you enjoy the Terminator series, you'll enjoy this movie. If you don't like the series or you haven't seen all of the movies, you might not enjoy it at all and you will be quick to point out plot holes and flaws. In the Sci-fi genre, I think that's pretty much how it goes; fans enjoy, non-fans don't.

May 2009 Reads Part III.

Agents of Atlas #5 - This series just keeps getting better. It also doesn't hurt to have The New Avengers guest star. This issue was just so much fun, lots of action and fighting and a lot of intrigue and setup for future story lines. I liked the reference to the backup story that I forgot where it appeared, but it featured a team-up with Wolverine and the Agents, and for some reason, M-11 (the super awesome robot team member) either still holds a grudge against him or has orders or programming to kill or capture him. I'm hoping this gets explained sometime soon. I look forward to this book coming out every month.

Fantasic Four #556 - This was a setup issue and I was kind of disappointed after I was done reading. It has an awesome cover and the first half was pretty good, I mean, when you feature a dead Watcher on a beach looking like a washed up whale and then have Reed Richards do an autopsy on said dead Watcher, it makes for an interesting story, but halfway through, it kind of just fell flat. The last panel was pretty cool, but of course the pages leading up to it were ambiguous at best and you have to wait until next month where they may or may not reveal more. I know the point is to keep your readers wanting more, but I thought this was a very uneven issue and I really haven't been too excited about this book for a couple of months. I'm contemplating dropping it.

Hulk #12 - Um, I have no idea what has been going on with this book for the last couple of issues. I think this is just a lot of filler until Hulk #600 comes out, which sucks, because they've bumped this book up to $3.99, and I hate spending even $2.99 on filler. I also don't understand why they bumped it up a buck, because it's been one of their best sellers and it's consistently in the top ten sales-wise each month. I think it's just a cheap way for Marvel to make an extra $100k a month. Lame. And Hulk #600 is going to be $4.99. Great. Thanks Marvel.

Invincible #62 - Yeah, I don't know how I feel about Invincible anymore. I was a little late to the party, and when I jumped on the bandwagon I still felt that the series was really good, but the last six issues or so have just been mediocre. I really wish I knew where this story was going. And that big event that Image was promoting really wasn't that great either. I am starting to consider dropping this title unless they turn it around and it gets better. I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to. I'm not saying it has to go back to what it was before, but it should have some entertainment value and I shouldn't be all "WTF, mate" after I'm done reading it.

Secret Six #9 - Oh my God, I loved this issue. For some reason, my store got it a week later than everyone else, so I was trying to avoid reading anything about it, and I'm glad I did. I was pretty much laughing 90% of my way through this book. The banter between Bane and Catman arguing over who is least qualified to replace Batman was awesome and Ragdoll dressed up as Robin was creepy and hilarious at the same time. This was just a really good book and I really think it's starting to hit it's stride, so I'm hoping the next couple of issues are as entertaining as this one. I am now looking forward to this book as much as I look forward to Guardians of the Galaxy, Incredible Hercules and Captain Britain and MI13. It's that good.

Thunderbolts #132 - You know, I really liked this issue. There wasn't much action going on, in fact I don't think there was any at all, but I liked it because it gave a little background on the current members of the Thunderbolts, who seemed to come out of nowhere after the events of Secret Invasion. The best part was seeing how they were reacting to being under Norman Osbourne's thumb, some of them are ok with it, some of them don't like it at all, some are super paranoid (for good reason) and some of them who were ok with it to begin with have some things to think about after they start talking to other team members. I liked the intricacies that this issue had and I hope it's an issue that the reader can look back to as being a pivotal piece in the current plot line. It also helps that there's a Songbird teaser at the end for the next issue. Can't wait for THAT to happen.

Uncanny X-Men #510 - This is going to sound like a broken record, I think I've already said it three times in this post, but this issue had the same problem that a couple of other issues had; I don't really know where the story is going and I've felt uninterested in the story and the characters for a couple of months. Seriously, I had to stop and try and remember what was going while I was reading it. And I couldn't really remember everything that had happened in the last couple of issues. That's not a good sign. I am hoping that this series is moving along to the next cross-over or what have you, because this story has been a little tiresome already.

Wolverine: Weapon X #2 - You know, I really don't remember what happened in the first issue of this series, and because I read like 900 Wolverine titles a month, it was kind of hard to remember. That didn't stop me from enjoying this book though. There are some really strange things going on in this book (like the sniper rifle that shoots a bullet that has 39 different forms of cancer in it), but it's fun and I'm actually looking forward to the next issue. I just need to dig up the first issue and reacquaint myself with the premise.

That's it for now, big week this week, I think I've got like 14 books to read on Thursday. Crazy.