Everybody knows the story of the Fantastic Four. Determined to reach the stars, Reed Richards and Sue Storm convince brother Johnny Storm and best friend Ben Grimm to take the risk of a life time.
Alas, the shielding on the rocket proves inadequate. Cosmic rays bombard the ship and force an emergency landing back to earth. The four survive, but the cosmic rays mutate them into The Invisible Girl, Mr. Fantastic,The Human Torch and the Thing.
Recently, the FF decided to readdress their epic fail. Reed and Johnny rebuild the rocket from scratch. No cheating with superpowers. Just using the tools they had in the past. This time with bitchin heavy cosmic ray resistance. The FF end up on the planet Spyre, and the people of Spyre expected them. They refer to the FF as the Fourtold.
In subsequent issues, the FF learn how the Overseer of Spyre affected their original rocket flight. They also learn something of the culture, and the idea of soul mates, symbolized with arm bands. These pairings appear to be omniversal. The Great Eye confirms Reed and Sue. Johnny on the other hand discovers his soul mate is a beautiful bird woman from Spyre named Sky.
This most recent issue of the Fantastic Four focuses on Sky. Last issue, Sky intended to be with her soul mate. She therefore asked to accompany the quartet back to earth. Everybody’s talking about her.
Essentially, Sky is Hawkgirl without the mace and helmet.
Oh, sure, she has a different personality and everything, but her power set is analogous to Hawkgirl, with a smidge of Black Canary thrown in for good measure.
She’s a woman of color, but that's not ground breaking. DC already contributed a black Hawkgirl when the Powers That Be reimagined their multiverse.
Earth 2
I’m not trying to disparage the character. Sky is actually kind of nice. She’s a stranger in a strange land and all that. Her want to help is sincere, as is her belief in the soul mate paradigm, granting her a sort of innocence. Sky though is no dummy. Like Hawkgirl, she comes from a culture facilitated by advanced science and technology. She also understands that Johnny has yet to accept what's inevitable to her. It’s furthermore interesting to see how the Fantastic Four react to Sky. Reed of course welcomes her. Cause that’s Reed.
Ben is noncommittal, and Sue is positively icy. The Black Cat commented on never crossing paths with Sue if she can help it. To be fair, Sue thinks Sky wasted this trip, and her flighty brother, the soul mate, will cast the winged woman aside.
The running joke being Sky’s another Crystal.
Crystal is an Inhuman. She’s sister to Medusa and took Sue’s place on the Fantastic Four when Sue became pregnant.
Writer Dan Slott fosters a running joke throughout the arc, saying that Johnny’s romance with Sky is like that of his relationship with Crystal. The implication that it was fleeting. Yet, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced Crystal way back in Fantastic Four #45. She lasted until issue one-zero-five. Quite a run.
Johnny is a really clueless banana in this issue of the Fantastic Four. However, he starts seeing Sky in a different light when the Mole Man attacks the Keewazi Reservation.
The Mole Man faced the Fantastic Four in their debut issue, and he’s been nutty ever since. On occasion, the Mole Man seems content, but these moments are mere blips on a radar.
The Keewazi are a Marvel Native American Tribe. Wyatt Wingfoot is their most famous member.
That may change since the Keewazi though fictional behave under the authentic traditions of the Natives. The Keewazi react to the earth movement with fear and trepidation. After the Moloids appear, the townspeople accept and welcome the strange visitors.
This issue of the Fantastic Four ends much differently than one expects, and that’s all thanks to Sky. We expected a big brouhaha drama pitting the FF against the Mole Man. Instead, it’s a done-in-one comedy that eschews the usual violence associated with the FF’s dealings with the little fruitcake. In the context of pop culture, Dan Slott is actually reimagining Superman and the Mole Men. He built the subplot a few issues ago, with rumblings from beneath the tribal earth.
In the Superman film. mankind uncovers the existence of the Mole Men, and unlike the Keewazi, the humans are not keen to live in peace and harmony. It's up to Superman to show these asses the error of their ways. The movie's available for streaming on Youtube and Amazon for about three bucks, if you so desire. The cynicism toward the human race and confident acting overcome the horrible, horrible cheapness of the affair. Adventures of Superman broadcasts on television a year later with much better production values.
Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag. In these trying times the Phantom of the Attic still came through with a bounty of comic books, and we have some reviews that just couldn't be included with the previous editions of this posting. Up to date decisions however can still be found on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag. As you may have learned Diamond, after this week, will no longer distribute comic books. The floppies anyhow. This is due to the fact of unfortunately necessary stay-at-home orders and government shut-downs to business. What this means to the POBB is this. After the current posting, there will be one final issue of the blog as you know it. The POBB is not going away, but it's going to change. I have a number of comic books and graphic novels in my collection, and I think I'll review them. As always, I'll try to avoid major spoilers, unless it's a classic. In which case, I may decide to showcase the issue and spoil the hell out of it. You'll be warned of course. If you're wondering about online comics and such. Yeah, I might. Maybe. I'll probably still be reading, but you know what? Not as quickly. The portability of the floppies as well as that of magazines was a major attraction. I have never gotten used to reading things on-line. I didn't grow up in that era. Enough doom and gloom. Let's get on with the current issue of the Pick of the Brown Bag.
In a previous review, I praised Adler for not taking Sherlock Holmes out of the picture. Unfortunately, the book does indeed substitute Irene Adler for Sherlock Holmes.
"The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" is a canonical Sherlock Holmes short that elegantly applies reason to a supposed supernatural event. With few clues, Holmes at his best solves a confounding mystery. Doing most of the thinking on the train ride to the scene of the crime. Damn! The detective Professor Moriarty mentioned in the debut of Adler appears to be another Victorian literary figure who shows up this issue.
It's certainly novel. I'll give you that. Phileas Fogg is of course the protagonist from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days.
So where does that leave me? Difficult to say, since this issue of Adler focuses on the villains of the piece.
In that respect Adler succeeds admirably. Carmilla is Sheridan Le Fanu's lesbian vampire. She is one of the most transformative figures in literature, and it's a surprise that she appears quite early in history. The world of film would be a different place without Carmilla. Carmilla became a major influence not just to horror but to lesbian film in general.
Dracula's Daughter (1936)
In Adler, Carmilla serves Ayesha. Created by H. Rider Haggard for the novel She, Ayesha is also known as She Who Must Be Obeyed. I know you've heard the phrase, but what you may not know is that it originates from Haggard's novel.
Ayesha is an immortal queen who learns the ways of magic and preserves her two-thousand year old body with supernatural flame. Any man who sees her will instantly fall in love with her. Prostrating themselves before her. The enchantment seems to work on lesbian vampires as well.
I love this imagery by Paul McCaffrey. It demonstrates the sensuality of the relationship and indicates that the feeling may be one-sided. There is nothing but ambition in Ayesha's eyes. The dispossessed queen may not be satisfying any of Carmilla's needs. She instead may see Carmilla as a killing tool, but a dangerous one. So, she allows her a modicum of familiarity. Though perhaps not the freedom to enter her bedchamber. Haggard granted Ayesha empathy through a love story subplot. However, she was power mad and killed to get her way, no matter how petty the desire. In Adler, writer Lavie Tindhar bestows Ayesha dignity through her resistance to British Imperialism. Irene as well expresses a distaste for the practice. Ayesha saves Jane Eyre's life. Her motivation in this case appears to simply be sisterhood. Jane is Irene's Watson. I have no idea why. I can only assume that Jane's common name with Miss Marple, not a public domain figure, triggered the inclusion.
Jordie Bellaire reestablished Vampirella in the nineteen sixties where she meets a time lost Red Sonja. Together they solve a real life mystery and put an end to a Soviet experiment. After that Bellaire produced two-stand alone tales for each female hero. He then introduced a time-tripping element that confused and irritated me. I thought this would be a series where Red Sonja and Vampirella would adventure in the sixties, not backwards through the ages. However, I'm willing to overlook a premise if the story's good. This issue is pretty good. After leaving some medieval fantasy nonsense, Red Sonja and Vampirella find themselves in the roaring twenties. Here they're under the gun.
Not to worry, neither is any slouch in a fight. After disposing of their would be attackers, by non-lethal means, V and Sonja pull a classic switcheroo.
They find a clue in the pocket of one of the goons and decide to rendezvous with the unknown parties. Feeling peckish, Sonja decides to sate her hunger.
The rat objects. The rodent is actually the witch that gifted Sonja with the Generation Stone, which allows her to travel through time. Instead of eating the rat, Sonja incorporates the witch/rat into her ruse. Further investigating uncovers crooked cops common to the period.
The whole shebang is in service to horrors that manifest only after Sonja and V scratch the surface. None of these developments are common to the period. The pace moves at a fast clip. Vampirella and Red Sonja's interaction is a hoot, and they're on the same page regarding what's hidden in the dark.
In Tom Sniegoski's Vengeance of Vampirella, Vampirella relates how she became a monster. In this stand-alone tale, Vampirella claims to be a split personality. One side human. The other a creature.
In reality, by the tale's conclusion, you'll see that Vampirella is in fact all too human even if in actuality an alien. The story takes place in a relative calm period in Vampirella's life. She's working with the Danse Macabre. An organization that confronts the supernatural.
The untamed jungle seems to affect Vampirella, and this is an original idea. Vampirella's release of the beast so to speak isn't due to any stress involved in a typical battle with an unstoppable foe such as a Golem or what have you. She's basically using her abilities to combat nature and becomes more savage as the world reverts to a primeval state.
It gets remarkably worse as Vampirella struggles through the unchecked flora. She encounters carnivorous plants of all ilk and a callback to Charlton's Phantom.
This allows artist Robert Castro to show that he's not just dynamite with the depiction of a painfully sexy woman that walks around with spaghetti straps covering her erogenous zones. He's also a skillful illustrator of dynamic action.
The spider encounter is just one of many allusions. Her whisper of "Satyr and Circe..." is reminiscent of Wonder Woman's Greek exclamations such as "Suffering Sappho!" In a humorous sequence she basically encounters some Terry Gilliam inspired Trolls followed by dryads. She is also welcome when saving the day.
As I have suggested in many a review, Vampirella isn't so much a monster or creature as a horror-themed superhero for an adult audience. This idea Sniegoski conveys in the consistent tension. The tale's antagonists are pulpy, but Vampirella's narration is not. Her bemusement of the cockney speaking Trolls is her only respite from an otherwise harrowing encounter that ends logically but tragically in a deliverance not from evil put unbridled power.
In Vampirella's mothership title, Christopher Priest details how her enemies brought down the plane that she and witch boy Benny were on. This reads like a Mission Impossible styled espionage piece that's conducted by the anti universe Jim Phelps and the IMF. The spotlight lies on the villains, but Priest also includes an operatic ending for one of the cast as well as a incremental descent into madness for another.
Captain Marvel is a showstopper conclusion to the latest story in which a fruitcake cosmic wannabe forced Carol to kill the Avengers for him. Early in the tale, I had serious misgivings and doubted writer Kelly Thompson. I'm still not happy with that brutal fight against Iron Man. I'm not a fan who wants to see superheroes duel. These things usually bore me to tears, and the fisticuffs end up being the equivalent of padding in an ordinary drama.
So naturally, Carol hasn't been killing Avenges. She's been pocketing them in another dimension while turning in handy dandy clones in substitute for their bodies.
This afforded Captain Marvel time to learn Vox Supreme's plans, most of them and give Tony Stark the opportunity to brainstorm a way out of the mess. It all comes to a head this issue. Carol beats the snot out of Vox Supreme while the Avengers rescue the innocent, but my telling you this doesn't cover the wonderful twists in that fight. The graphics I've included only give you a taste of the startling visuals to come.
Spider-Woman is Jessica Drew. A long time ago, in a hidden city on Mount Wundagore, uranium deposits irradiate young Jessica to the point of death. To save her life, her scientist parents and the High Evolutionary place her in cryogenic stasis while they work on a cure. They derive this cure from the venom of multiple spider species. That cure grants Jessica spider-like powers as well as an immunity to poisons and a venom blast. She also once issued a unique pheromone. Exposure either turned you on or turned you off to her. When Jessica emerges in this altered state, she emerges as a young woman. Why bring up old history, asks you? For one thing, Karla Pacheco's story recalls a lot of it, not in specifics but in characterization and action. After being shunned by the High Evolutionary's Moreau Project, Jessica fell under the thrall of HYDRA and ended up fighting the Thing in Marvel Two-In-One. She leaves HYDRA, not on good terms, of course, and becomes a criminal to survive. In London, she meets SHIELD agent Jerry Hunt who eventually turns her to the good. Pacheco's tale starts off thusly...
A billionaire named Marchand hires Jessica to be security at his daughter's birthday party. This ends up being more than a milk run. Though milk men do appear.
A lot of Jess' battles capture the flavor of the original stories. For one thing, they were more mature in nature. That expression on Jess' face is indicative of a series of hard knocks delivered by life. She gets back up again. The violence choreographed by Pere Perez is more realistic in nature and edged sharper than most depictions. When Jess' best friend beats the tar out of Vox Supreme, she's a Kree smacking around an inky alien. It's a level removed from reality. Jessica is fighting mortal men and holding back just enough to avoid a kill. Jessica's fighting while ill. This sickness is a callback to the feelings of loneliness due to the consequences of the pheromone.
Even the fantasy super heroics bear a certain amount of creepiness that became a Spider-Woman signature. Unlike Spider-Man, Spider-Woman told no jokes. She silently stalked from a variety of vantages before waylaying the villain with a venom blast. It's for these reasons Spider-Woman will appeal to faithful fans of the character. The back up story is geared more for the modern Spider-Woman reader. Here we see Jess with baby boy in tow. Indeed, while Jess' struggle to make ends meet echoes the past, it's very much a present day problem as well. Avengers get stipends, but Jess is no longer part of that team.
During this immediate past event, Jess gains a new costume and a host of problems. Artist Paulo Siqueira gives Jess a lot more pulchritude in this short, but he also grants a powerful musculature. This is in fact a return to the character, since Siqueira is the original artist for the 2000s Captain Marvel, where she guest-starred.
The Pick of the Brown Bag returns with all new reviews of Ant-Man, Hawkeye Freefall, Immortal Hulk, Marvel Action Captain Marvel, Thor, Starring Sonya Devereaux and Wonder Woman. If you haven’t the time to check out the full text, look up my tweets: #PickoftheBrownBag.
The Black Winter is a big cosmic menace of undetermined nature that only Galactus can stop. Unfortunately, due to the current climate of Marvel attitude, Galactus is on the skids.
The devourer thus sought a new herald to pinpoint planets he can eat. That herald is Thor, now King of Asgard and still God of Thunder. Thor however isn’t the only God of Thunder. Due to the literal wording of the rune on Mjonlir, others deemed worthy lifted the hammer and drew the power of Thor. One such being is Beta Ray Bill.
Last issue, Bill challenged Thor for reasons that were vague at best. Beta Ray once beat Thor in fair combat. Odin, Chief of the Norse Gods, in turn forged for Bill Stormbreaker, a new hammer. However as any Beta Ray Bill fan will tell you, Beta Ray is Marvel’s Anguirus.
Godzilla’s ally and scout, Anguirus is the poor fellow who first gets the business from any evil Kaiju.
That's not Godzilla about to hand down the worst beat down Anguirus ever felt. Just a remarkable likeness. Seriously, if you don't wince when watching that scene, you're just not human.
Thor like so many others beat the crap out of poor Bill. I mean, yeah, Thor was polite and asked Beta Ray to leave, but Bill had a bone to pick with Galactus. So Thor handed Beta Ray his ass and would have finished him had it not been for Sif.
Those expecting a throw down between Thor and Sif will be disappointed. Sif is no dummy. Girl power and all that, but Thor even on his worst day is more powerful than Sif. Tho, she now harbors the abilities of Heimdal, All-Seeing Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge.
Sif deals with Thor in a different way. Simultaneously humiliating him, adding humor, advancing story themes, presenting her agency and of course rescuing Beta Ray Bill.
Other than this first act and the curious incident with Loki, Thor is mainly a showcase for Nic Klein’s impressive artistic imagination and skill, which is easy to recommend even for those not particularly interested in Thor.
Once dubbed the Hulk, Xenmu is a Jack Kirby and Stan Lee monster from the Silver Age. The creature later returned and took his place in the Incredible Hulk's Hulk Smash Gallery. Xenmu's shtick is hypnosis and being a huge cyborg yeti. He's back with a scheme of global proportions.
In Immortal Hulk Xenmu hypnotized the world and did the unthinkable. He beat the seemingly unstoppable Hulk by mentally subsuming every superhero. Xenmu became every memory of every superhero. Including the Hulk. All of him.
People now only know the Hulk as Robert Banner. Which doesn't really have a ring to it. Xenmu undermined the symbolism the Hulk needs to change the world. Of course, the Big Guy, the Hulk-no-like-Hulk-smash Hulk, knows the truth, but the other Hulks and and now Robert Bannerrein him in with multiple psychological blocks.
However, Xenmu couldn't have predicted one weak spot in an otherwise brilliant scheme. One of the Hulk's team begins to see through the illusion. Dr. Charli McBride, acquired in a hostile Hulk takeover of black ops enemy Shadow Base. Dr. McBride's perception occurs due to a very fitting rationale.
You know, until The X-Files I never heard of the Mandela Effect. Far earlier, Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner coined the phrase, "The memory cheats." We remember hearing the chilling, grating voices from an army of Daleks in Day of the Daleks. When in fact, these Daleks sound a helluva lot like this...
Oh, and there's about three of them. When the BBC released the DVD, they made certain to create a special edition of the episode that matched our memories.
Al Ewing set up the Immortal Hulk as a horror story. He emphasized that Bruce Banner suffers and benefits from science fiction influenced multiple personalities that go way beyond Jeckyll and Hyde. Ewing returned the Devil Hulk, the original from Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Although not gray. This version of the Hulk seemed unstoppable, and if you thought you came up with a bane, another Hulk manifested to thwart that. Here we see the Hulk at his most vulnerable. His very identity and legend erased by cheating memory. Leaving a devastated Bruce Banner exposed and unprotected. This is true horror.
Turns out Hawkeye has been running around as another vigilante persona named Ronin. He intends to wipe out the Hood's growing criminal empire and establish an alibi for his more famous sobriquet. My telling you this spoils nothing. Writer Matt Rosenberg explained how all of this became possible, and it's beautiful science fiction. Essentially this issue is about Hawkeye hedging his bets and trying desperately to keep suspicion from the superhero community in check. Black Widow already figured it out and won't accept any argument. The good news is she's a former secret agent. Kills and theft of stolen goods does not bother her. Others however object, but Hawkeye convinced them he can't be in two places at once. The ruse continues. First up Daredevil.
I forgot that Hawkeye doesn't know who Daredevil is, nor the basis for his superpowers. I'm just so used to seeing heroes go, "Oh, yeah. Daredevil. Blind-Not Blind Superhero." So, it's a treat to actually see Hawkeye act like an idiot for different reasons and count his lucky stars that Daredevil only identifies him by heartbeat. Skipping way ahead of important spoilers that are absolutely hilarious. Clint meets Spider-Man again. Only, their encounter isn't so friendly.
Ouch. This is really refreshing. Hawkeye and Spider-Man have been in the same room maybe twice. Rosenberg purposely connects Hakweye with old teammates as well as acquaintance allies to create a broad scope for a fun Marvel Universe street-level book. Hawkeye though is no dummy. Yes, his plan is a complete disaster, and his subsequent attempts to reinforce the lie fail miserably. Every time he thinks he's on top of the situation, his solution bites him in the ass. However his plans to quash the Hood permanently take in account the money trail. The key to the Hood's power is multi-fold. Hawkeye attacks each facet of the Hood's climb.
As you can see, the cover of Ant-Man depicts the Black Cat and Spider-Man. Their "announced" guest-appearance isn't really a spoiler because you cannot possibly imagine how much gorgeously comedic they will be in the story.
The opening centers on family. Scott Lang is trying to stop his daughter Cassie from moving to L.A. to join Kate Bishop's West Coast Avengers, which is still a thing, even though the title has been cancelled. She feels that he isn't and doesn't want to be a serious superhero.
Scott objects and decides to show her how much he cares about saving the world. This necessitates a trip to Avengers HQ. Scott's actually an Avenger. Once an Avenger, always an Avenger. He joined during Geoff Johns' brief run, and they all try to boost up his standing.
But to no avail. The Avengers do give Scott a lead for solving his current predicament.
Jed MacKay is hands down the best Black Cat writer out there. He makes her incredibly fun. As I said in my review of her new series I always felt the dour, sad psychologically damaged Black Cat just didn't ring true.
Zeb Wells' Black Cat isn't as freewheeling, but she's happier and richer in depth. She makes a great guest star that creates an interesting dynamic with Ant-Man and his daughter. Indeed, when Spidey and the Black Cat arrive on the scene, the entire point of view smoothly shifts from star Ant-Man to Cassie. Who observes her father in action, interacting with real superheroes and uncovering and confronting a true threat. Take your daughter to work day is a success.
I've been a fan of Captain Marvel since she was Ms. Marvel back in the seventies. It pisses me off when writers botch her character, even the well meaning ones. I immediately glommed on to Jeremy Whitley's Unstoppable Wasp. So, yeah, wild horses wouldn't have been able to stop me from buying Marvel Action Captain Marvel. Geared for a younger audience, the Marvel Action books equivocate Marvel Adventures, an umbrella for a series of all-ages titles. Marvel Action Captain Marvel is written by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Sweeney Boo. What I instantly liked about this book is that despite being all-ages, the characters are exactly who they are in their more mature titles. Captain Marvel isn't a high school student. She's not a toddler. She's Carol Danvers, former USAF now superhero and Avenger. Nadia Van Dyne is the new Wasp, daughter of Hank Pym and adopted-stepdaughter of original Wasp Janet Van Dyne. Nadia is learning how to drive.
This theme started in Unstoppable Wasp with Avengers gentleman's gentleman Jarvis attempting the feat. As the story continues, Maggs introduces in cameo GIRL.
The think tank of female geniuses include girlfriends Shay Smith and Nadia's best friend Ying. So, we're not worried about disturbing the Bible Belt or protecting "family values." Good on Marvel, IDW and Sam Maggs.
Before you can say tail, Carol and Nadia quickly spot one in the mirror. It's those "adorable beekeepers" AIM. Albeit one with a better dress sense. AIM is the arch nemesis organization in Unstoppable Wasp. They originally harassed SHIELD and the Avengers. So, Carol and Nadia have a common cause. Unfortunately, AIM occasionally screw up into gold. That's the case here.
Nadia's Neat Science Facts complete the picture. Unstoppable Wasp wasn't just entertainment. It educated as well. Colors by Brittany Peer combined with the paper stock grant Marvel Action Captain Marvel vivid popping colors. Finally, Sweeney Boo's art is just perfect. Her inviting visuals express action, emotion and science fiction special effects equally well.
Wonder Woman wants to make Boston her home again. Boston isn't sure it wants any superhero around because they attract trouble and cause horrendous amounts of property damage. Previously in Wonder Woman Diana won a parole by aiding Boston during natural disaster, under the watchful eye of Officer Nora Nunes.
Nora speaks of Bronze Age hero Valda, the Iron Maiden, lover of Arak the Thunderer. Valda appeared in the present day and ingratiated herself with the natives by killing one of them. Wonder Woman became involved and turned apparent killer into ally. It's what she does. In this issue Valda and Wonder Woman address the strange unexplained beast that brought it and Valda to the present day.
The fight becomes a teaching moment as Wonder Woman challenges Valda to save the innocent from crushing death. A contest appeals to the Viking, and she quickly finds worth in the acts themselves. Wonder Woman's plan all along. It's what she does. She sees the good in people. She teases it out so the person can recognize the spirit of kindness inside. Orlandos's insistence that we sympathize with idiot villain Paula Von Gunther provides a sharp contrast to the fight and the saves so beautifully and kinetically choreographed by artists Max Raynor and Romulo Fajardo Jr. The answer is no, Steve. No. I will not like this moron.
What the she-beast said. Originally, Paula Von Gunther was a Nazi, but William Moulton Marston created Wonder Woman as the antithesis to the more violent superheroes of National Periodicals. He wanted to show submissive love to be a force to be reckoned with. Redemption and psychiatric help existed for any who needed it. Paula Von Gunther committed terrible crimes and battled Wonder Woman to the fullest of her capabilities. She did this secretly under duress. The Nazis took Von Gunther's daughter Gerta as hostage. Wonder Woman defends Von Gunther in a court of law. She and the Amazons reform her on Paradise Island, and she and her genius daughter become allies. It's what she does.
No, honey, you're not a Nazi, and that's the problem. Orlando detailed your story in a Wonder Woman Annual. Wonder Woman rescued the new Paula Von Gunther from her parents. They were members in good standing of a racist militia group. Diana neglected to tell Paula the true story for all the right reasons. Paula Von Gunther grows before the immortal Wonder Woman's eyes into a Jane Bond for ARGUS. Hot flash villain Leviathan pulled up and laid out the cards. For that, just for that, Von Gunther throws away her entire meaningful existence. She should be hugging Wonder Woman and saying, "Thank you for saving me from a conditioned life of diseased thinking." Still, I must recommend Wonder Woman for the main story which is utterly brilliant and fosters a speech for Valda that transcends mere comic book dialogue.
The dialogue in Starring Sonya Devereaux is as often as painful as the plotting in Vampire Academy 4.
That's just because Sonya Devereaux is a B-Movie actress who stars in atrocious films. This hilarious series from Todd Livingston and Nick Capetanakis returns with a vengeance on the funny bone.
I suppose there are some out there who fail to see the humor in bad films. For those poor souls I can only shake my head in sadness. That these ladies and gentlemen will never appreciate a treasure like Rifftrax's Manos the Hand of Fate is a tragedy. Vampire Academy 4 of course isn't that bad, but it does try.
So, the story is exactly what you think. A sire vampire becomes the teacher for Vampire Academy, where young vampires learn the ropes about killing and being evil. He sends his students out for their first grade. This involves slaying stupid horn-dog boys and even dumber individuals.
There's a loopy love story subplot. There's gratuitous lesbian scenes all done for the male gaze. There's gore galore and more, but it's only a movie. It's only a movie. I'd pay good money to see this atom bomb that's nevertheless in context smarter than a lot of vampire films that I've seen. Indeed, the writer within the film actually makes good use of the cliches and traditions inherent in the genre.
Because of the art, Vampire Academy, enjoys higher production values than most of these films can present. This is also seen in array of photos for an interview with Sonja Devereaux at the tail end of the book.
