Why is This Character Cool? Hawkman Edition

Wait, Hawkman is cool?

Don't question me, fake person.

Now that we can put that unpleasantness behind us, we can move forward. Hawkman has been synonymous with confusion. I'm going to estimate here, but I think he has had approximately 73 different origins since his first appearance in 1940.

Robert Venditti handles the latest incarnation of Carter Hall and his winged alter ego. As hesitant as I was to read anything about a character who is more confusing than new math is to a 40 year old, I decided to give it a shot.

I have never said in my life that Hawkman is my favorite book currently. WELL, IT IS.

Superhero Landings

Carter Hall is having not only flashbacks of his past incarnations, but he is crossing time and meeting them, too. We also learn that he has not just been reincarnated on earth, but also Krypton, for example. I am not sure if he has been reincarnated in Missouri (I don't consider that to be part of earth...more like an active portal to hell).

Venditti has succeeded in weaving a tale that pisses you off when the issue is done. Now I have to wait another month. I wonder what the pitch looked like at DC. Did Mr. Venditti pitch this? Or did DC? I imagine if it was the latter, Venditti had to have some hesitation, even if only internally. This is a character who has never seen triple digits in any of the 475 series that he has had over the years.

I hope the quality of this book can be sustained, as I can't get enough. On Twitter I gave it 9 out of 5 stars.  Here on the blog I will give it 9 out of 5 pieces of Nth Metal.

Buy it.

Rant 2018

Any DC movie.
Any recent Star Wars movie.

There has been a growing trend in recent years to basically trash things before they are released. The newest Star Wars film Solo is a great example, as was Justice League. As was Batman vs. Superman. As was The Last Jedi.

Were any of these films perfect? Absolutely not. Is any film perfect? Arguable. Anyone who thought Thor Ragnarok was brilliant probably shouldn't be opening their mouths about movies being stupid. I liked Thor Ragnarok, but to allow it to be what it was but then complain about "Martha"...just stop, really.

"Steve, you're complaining about complaining!"

Here is why that is ridiculous. When someone is complaining about a movie they have not seen yet, and has not even been released, that is completely different than calling those types of people out on their abject stupidity. There is an "outrage culture" in almost all facets of life thanks to social media.

Just ask a vegan.

Whatever happened to judging something for ourselves? I can tell you: it takes too much work, and in an unreasonable need for acceptance, people will join bandwagons left and right. People are too lazy to think for themselves. Politics is a clear example of that.

Be objective. Take Infinity War, for example. I loved it and saw it multiple times. I can't wait to own it on Blu-ray. That doesn't change the fact that Thanos looks like he could be a spokesperson for Pepto Bismol. Still, Josh Brolin completely nailed it. Does it change the fact that the big Infinity War battle on earth was fairly ridiculous? No.

Why is property damage ok in Avengers but not Man of Steel?

I think you get the point.

Let's stop being whiny little bitches and maybe try and enjoy things a little more. When you say that the new Star Wars movies ruined your childhood, I am excited to see how you will do in corporate America. Of course, you could continue to work at a Gamestop the rest of your life, or a Burger King.

Anyways, the new Fantastic Four comic will be out in a couple months, and you just know it will be blisteringly stupid. (See? Makes no sense. How would I know that? I don't.) I'm quite looking forward to it, actually.

Stay positive. Enjoy life. Except for Spawn vs WildC.A.T.S. I give you a pass on that.

Marvel Unlimited Correction

Hi.

Let me start off by saying I’m an idiot.

I’m an idiot.

 In my last entry I wrote “My only complaint is that Comixology spoils a person with the guided view technology. Marvel does not have that, so a screen any smaller than an iPad could be an annoyance.”

I was wrong. They do! This is what happens when someone over the age of...um...40-something is thinking they are tech savvy. Well, I found it in the settings, and could not be happier.

Now if those damn kids would get off my lawn.

Mish Mash Quick Hits

Greetings fellow comic book fan(s)!

Marvel Unlimited

I know this has been around for quite some time, and I am very late in getting to the station on this one. There are a few pricing points, and in a nutshell, you can read 20,000+ issues of Marvel Comics. THERE IS TOO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM! That's a great problem to have.

I love vintage Fantastic Four (beginning through the 80's). I CAN READ THEM ALL! Bruce Banner is not the Hulk? I can read that, too. Star Wars? Even from the Dark Horse era? Yup. Anything with The Thing? Pretty much! I've always been more of a DC guy, and the reason is because they tend to reboot like crazy since the 80's and it was easy to latch onto. It was never because I didn't like Marvel. Now I can catch up on anything. Captain America #1 punching Hitler on the cover? Yeah, that is there, too.

It looks great on an iPad, and has a smooth app. My only complaint is that Comixology spoils a person with the guided view technology. Marvel does not have that, so a screen any smaller than an iPad could be an annoyance. As long as you have that, this service is worth it. I wish DC would do the same. Not trying to influence (lol like I could do that), but I would pay 20-30 bucks a month for each, Marvel and DC. As it stands, I am paying 10 bucks a month for Marvel, and DC is not gaining any revenue.

I do hope this is a money-maker for Marvel. What an awesome service.

Youngblood

Remember Rob Liefeld's Youngblood? It was universally panned forever, and Liefeld is a polarizing figure, to be sure. I had Youngblood from way back in the day...Image launch and all that. I didn't like it. I thought it was bad, and Liefeld's art was both awesome and not awesome at the same time. On any cover, for example, I could point to things I thought looked amazing, and would look at ankles, etc...anywhoo...

Youngblood re-launched under a new creative team in 2017. naturally, I passed it up, as I was too busy reading stereo instructions and ingredients on shampoo bottles.

My mistake.

This series is excellent. Written by Chad Bowers and art provided by Jim Towe, I was very, very pleased with the results. How pleased? Well, I started issue 1 yesterday, and just wrapped up issue 11 today and am current. Set down any historical issues you may have had and enjoy this for what it is, fun super-hero comics with some excellent art. Vogue is the stand-out character for me thus far.

Action Comics 1000

JUST GO BY THIS. SERIOUSLY. STOP IT ALREADY. Brian Michael Bendis is at DC and is working on the one that started it all...Superman. Great anniversary issue with multiple creative teams. Lots of great covers spanning the decades. I bought 6. Thanks, Supes!

Domino

Who is Domino? If you know comics, you know she was in X-Force, among other teams. That was about all I knew. I never paid attention (see the stupid stereo instructions and shampoo ingredient joke above). I saw it in the comic shop and though "Cool cover." I kept browsing. I tend to browse like a person who has to have something but really has no idea what the hell is happening around him, and has no clue what he is looking for.

After looking at everything on the shelf 374 times, I noticed it was written by Gail Simone. Hmm. "She is an awesome writer", I thought to myself. If I said it out loud, I apologize to anyone who may have been around, wondering why that 48 year old weirdo was talking to himself. After buying it, it took me a few days to read it. GREAT first issue. I didn't feel like I needed to know 30 years (or whatever) of history.

MY WIFE LOVED IT. If that doesn't sell me, nothing does. She looks forward to comics like they are stereo intru...ah, forget it.

Issue 2 came out this week, and already has us roped in. Great book.

That's all that comes to mind. Remember to check out the Field of Geeks podcast...iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher Radio, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, probably other places.

See you in a few years!

The Flash Annual #1 (Spoiler Free)

Who Remembers Wally West?

I love annuals. Some of my favorite stories have been in the comic annuals of olden times. Well, in the last 30 years. The Elseworlds Annuals had some stories I still go back to.

In The Flash, we get a Wally West tale, and while I won't spoil, he is looking for his place in the current time and place he finds himself in. Barry Allen and Kid Flash are major players in this story, and the ending sets up the next big arc.

Joshua Williamson writes with Howard Porter and Christian Duce tackling the art. Williamson, in particular, does a nice job getting to the heart of Wally, making him as familiar and inviting  as he was when Mark Waid took him to the next level.

Highly recommended. 5 out of 5 lightning bolts.

Batman 1989

Netflix is quite possibly one of man's crowning achievements. It might not be as big of a deal as, say, the polio vaccine or mayonnaise, but it certainly has to rank higher than frostbite or American politics.

Recently Netflix has added several Bat films for your viewing pleasure. Or displeasure, as it were. I'm looking at you, Clooney.

As a 20 year old "man" in 1989, my biggest concerns centered around NBA basketball, but when I heard Batman was coming out, the not-so-hidden nerd inside me was ready to go. I wasn't alone. The film grossed hundreds of millions of dollars and was a pop-culture phenomenon.

In the cape and cowl is Michael Keaton. He is my favorite actor in the world. Bar none. Way higher than Clint Howard or that dude who played Balki. Keaton's casting was controversial in that fanboys everywhere couldn't believe that a comedian would be able to pull it off. Exhibit A: Clean and Sober. End of discussion.

His portrayal of Bruce Wayne is still the best we've seen in film. Keaton nailed it. Batman is not Bruce Wayne's alter ego, it's the other way around, and it was done exceptionally well.

Jack Nicholson played the villain (as he does so well). The Joker was truly insane, and who better than Nicholson? Heath Ledger's Joker, while brilliant, is a different kind of Joker. If you have the maturity to look beyond the ridiculous comparisons, you will see that both were completely mesmerizing.

There is a lot of praise to go around, from Burton's visionary approach, Danny Elfman's iconic score, or the unbelievable design work by the late Anton Furst. I could go on for hours.

Lucky for you I will not do that. There are a couple things in the film that could have been done differently, but hindsight is 20/20, especially for armchair quarterbacks.

On the Field of Geeks podcast, we recently did a commentary track for the film, and as much fun as it is to poke a little fun at movies, I still found myself loving the movie. Check it out at https://youtu.be/Okl4epVdibo and enjoy! It's Clooney-free!