POBB July 28, 2024

Pick of the Brown Bag

July 28, 2024

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag, a review blog becoming more frequent every week.

 ...Sigh...

What is it about the X-Men that's so friggin hard!  

Gah! Gah! Gah!

Anyhow, that's the emotional part of the review.  Now, let's get to the subjective and objective criticisms of NYX.  First, what I liked.

The art by Francesco Mortarino is fantastic.  I have zero complaint about the art.  

The colors by Raul Angulo tend to shift from warm and natural for day scenes to nightclub purple and mutant green.  

All of it aesthetically pleasing.  So, yeah all the illustration is welcoming to the eyes.  

Sophie Cuckoo, nope that's apparently her real name, has a winning comment about Ms. Marvel's sobriquet that I'll not spoil here.  

In fact I liked Sophie's and Kamala's developing friendship throughout.  Why couldn't this aspect be in a story that I actually cared about?

It's also nice to see Kamala Khan's brother worrying about her.  He incidentally doesn't know or only suspects that his sister is Ms. Marvel.

Now for the rest...Something happened to Krakoa, the Mutant Paradise Island.  Mutants scatter across the mutant-hating globe without teleports to an idyllic refuge.

Some of these mutants include Prodigy, the aforementioned Sophie one of the Stepford Cuckoos and X-23 who is back to being Wolverine.

I realize that some reading this believe I just had an aneurysm and for my last act typed out some gibberish.  I understand.  So, let me explain.

Prodigy is exactly what his name implies.  He's a really intelligent mutant character.  Though kind of a priggish sphincter.

The Stepford Cuckoos combine the names of two science fiction novels that spawned popular movies: The Stepford Wives and The Midwich Cuckoos.  The latter gave us this...

X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine.  Real name Laura Kinney, she possesses all the powers of Wolverine and a similar personality, but her different experiences make her a different person.

Now, you may be wondering how I’m aware any of this.  Faithful POBB readers know.  I gave up on the X-Men very quickly; soon after the Tigra team-up from Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.  Mostly for good when artist Paul Smith left the book.  

However, all of the characters I mentioned appeared somewhere else.  I am a fan of X-23.  Ever since Avengers Academy.   Tom Taylor wrote her in her own Wolverine book, and I was happy as a squirrel in a tree full of nuts.  As to, Ms. Marvel…

I like Ms. Marvel.  I believed her center presence on the cover indicated NYX wouldn't be a mutant war book and just something fun to read.  I didn't know Ms. Marvel was a mutant.  I thought she was an Inhuman.

Sure.  That explains it, but was it necessary? Was it necessary to make Ms. Marvel a mutant and an Inhuman? Does it make this character any more fun.  I'm going to say no.  In fact, it takes an already fun character and makes her damn annoying.

I mean if I were to take a shot of whiskey every time Ms. Marvel insinuates or outright mentions her newfound mutanthood I'd be smashed out of my mind.  

None of this mutant-pride flag-waving was necessary because it defies the writing precept of showing not telling.  

The fact is that scribes Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly could have simply had Kamala state, "They have a new curriculum I'm eager to try."  There's no reason to go full blown mutant technobabble since on page eight we get this exposition dump.

One or the other not both.  They could have also eased my troubled mind and foreshadowed Prodigy's blah-blah had Ms. Marvel stated to Bruno, "They have a new curriculum I'm eager to try.  STEM, a mutant inclusive history course, Bohemian architecture.  So many things to learn."  What exactly do editors do nowadays?

Kamala literally bumps into Sophie Cuckoo in the next scene.  They hit it off.  Sophie divulges that she's attending class for a specific reason.

After a discourse between Sophie and Prodigy we do not see, Sophie takes Kamala to a club.  There we meet Anole.  He's named after a harmless lizard.  Does that keep him out of trouble.  Nope.

A fight ensues, and the bouncer is accidentally hurt, which leads to ejection.  

During the fight, Kamala learns of something going down at a subway station.  She tries to engage Prodigy, who's uninterested.  

Calling the police would have been the best idea:

"Officer, this is Ms. Marvel.  I've got wind that something bad is going down on Rocket Number Nine.  Maybe send a bomb squad.  I'll meet you down there."

She only knows that the mutant racist group are planning something.  She doesn't actually know superpowers will be involved.  The police and perhaps Iron Man and Spider-Man would be best suited for helping her look for trouble.

It's at this moment that Wolverine inexplicably makes an appearance.

Despite having hyped up sensory powers, I can't for the life of me think why she manifests at the moment Kamala doesn't need her.  

Oh, and Wolverine would have been perfect mutant kumbaya back-up to look for the hate group's shenanigans, but apparently despite what she says, Wolverine doesn't do heroism anymore.

Wolverine's non-participation warning doesn't deter Kamala who goes off looking for problems on her own.  Unfortunately for her and everyone involved, including the reader, mutant racists are not the cause for consternation.

Another fucking mutant looney with a bucket on his damn head.  Why? Because these stupid helmets are supposed to block out telepaths.  It's canonical.  Fuck me.

We do get a reveal.  Who is the dashing young lad in the bucket?  Got me.  They do a dramatic dum-dum-dum.  I still got nothing. 

In fact the whole team of Evil Mutants, can't tell if they're a brotherhood, gets a dramatic dum-dum-dum.  Except for "one," I got nothing.  I also got nothing out NYX.  No fun.  No good Wolverine moments.  Just mutant wtf.

POBB November 14, 2023

Pick of the Brown Bag

June 14, 2023

by

Ray Tate

This week, I take you on a mostly spoiler-free voyage of the latest Captain Marvel film: The Marvels.  

Truth be told.  I saw The Marvels in standard.

It's just a cool poster.

You may be thinking: well, The Marvels is not really a Captain Marvel film since it's also graced with Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan alias Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau...

...as well as a certain Samuel L. Jackson portraying you know who.

Yeah.  That means you really haven't been paying attention.  Else, you would know that this isn't really the second Captain Marvel film.  It's the third.

Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Comics films are frequently ensemble flicks because the Marvel cinematic multiverse...

Iron Man Two or Black Widow One.  You decide.

...is actually more cohesive than DC's cinematic multiverse.  That's ironic, if you read comic books. 

Superhero entanglement feeds into the reason for The Marvels assembly.  The theme also cuts a lot of needless padding.  For example, Nick Fury doesn't really need to explain how he knows where Kamala Khan lives.  He's Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD.

However, for those who came late to the multiverse, Marvels briefly covers Ms. Marvel's origins and oddly enough Captain Marvel's origins.  The latter in flashback.  

I would have thought it more likely that some might not know Monica Rambeau's power source.  She evolves in WandaVision.  

Parris summarizes what happened only in dialogue.  If you didn't watch WandaVision, you can be forgiven for not understanding the lip service.  On the other hand, you can also say to yourself.  Hey, it's a new super-powered lady and watch with no real dent in your enjoyment.  

Monica Rambeau comes into her own as a superhero in Marvels.  She has grown in depth since WandaVision.  Her relationship with her Aunt Carol and her deceased mother is what's important.

If you spent time with Disney stream series Secret Invasion and Ms. Marvel, you'll get more out of the film.  Not because of plot points.  You'll just better absorb the richness of character development in Nick Fury, Kamala Khan and her family.  

As established in Ms. Marvel, Kamala's grandmother gifted her a bracelet.  The bracelet triggered her abilities and allowed her to control them to a greater degree.  Kamala's powers mimic the hard light constructs of a Green Lantern's ring.

The bracelet and its mate serve as the catalyst for The Marvels.  They bring the band together.  They're greedily sought for by Kree villain Dar-Ben.  

The bracelets are the problem and the solution to most of the questions raised by a well-written science fiction plot.  They also cleverly allude to the nega-bands that allowed Rick Jones and the original Captain Mar-Vel to switch places.

With a few exceptions, the Kree are basically shitty versions of Superman.  Kree Warriors display remarkably homogenous superiority complexes because they possess a greater toughness, stamina and strength over ordinary aliens.  

The Lady Sif already bested one in Agents of SHIELD.  In that same episode human SHIELD agent Mockingbird fought the Kree invader to an impressive standstill.

Captain Marvel, of course, smacked down a whole slew of them.  The Kree rationalize that by ostracizing Carol Danvers, dismissing her and fearing her at the same time.  She's dubbed the Annihilator.  

No explanation for how the Kree get on with their lives after an Asgardian and a mere human humbled one of their agents.  Perhaps they don't speak of this humiliation.

In The Marvels, the planet of the Kree, Hala, is dying.  It's only that passing semblance to Kryptonians that saves the species from expiring with it.  Dar-Ben has a plan to save Hala and the Kree.  It's a half-assed plan.  One that makes perfect sense given the Kree mind-set.  

Dar-Ben also has an ulterior motive.  Her reasoning mirrors Darth Vader's petty revenge against Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.  She and Captain Marvel go back aways, from Dar-Ben's perspective.  

It seems that Carol unwittingly abased her.  Carol on the other hand doesn't really know who Dar-Ben is.  That slight is enough for Dar-Ben to attack all that Carol holds dear.  Dar-Ben however is a tragedy rather than a personal genuine threat.

Dar-Ben emerges as a wannabe grandiose villain, but she actually can't muster that kind of presence.  She only seems tough because Captain Marvel is holding back a helluva lot.  It's apparent through the movie.  

The fact is that Carol could have simply cut off Dar-Ben's hand or arm that holds the McGuffin of power, but Captain Marvel doesn't do that.  She's not that kind of person.  All three heroes wind up fighting Dar-Ben simultaneously. 

The fights presented in The Marvels are some of the best.  They're athletic and short, depending on wirework and the actresses' and/or stunt people's battle training more than CGI.  The minds behind the movie furthermore seamlessly blend in the switching of the combatants without losing the momentum of the skirmishes.  This was not an easy movie to make, and yet everybody behind it makes it look effortless.

That kind of natural flow can be seen in the performances of all involved.  This movie actually plays like episode seven or so in a Captain Marvel series starring Brie Larson.  The agency she imbues to the Captain, her interplay with Nick Fury, even her relationship with Goose the Flerkin, which happens to look like a cat, is so practiced that Larson persuades you to believe that Captain Marvel has been pursing a life ever since she left the stage of Avengers Endgame.  In other words, Carol's existence didn't stop when the movie ended.  Her life ran parallel to all the movies and stream series that came after.

The movie in fact explicitly states that Captain Marvel is a known quantity throughout the galaxy, perhaps beyond.  

Given my disdain for the particular genre the film dovetails into, I should despise these scenes.  

These moments clearly happened to be on whatever creator's checklist for making an alien species.  I should have really hated these instances, but I didn't.  

Larson as Captain Marvel is simply too convincing not to take everything in what should be a nauseating action at face value.

I'm aware of the online hate bubbling around The Marvels.  I suspect it's got more to do with a potent black Captain Marvel character and a Pakistani-American Ms. Marvel joining Brie Larson.  All three powerful women portrayed by accomplished actresses.  With the Captain demonstrating once again why she may be the most powerful superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.   Well, to the haters...

...I don't get you.  I never have.  The Marvels is a blast of fun.

POBB August 31, 2019

Pick of the Brown Bag

August 31, 2019

by

Ray Tate

The Pick of the Brown Bag welcomes you with reviews of Batgirl, Betty and Veronica Meet Red Sonja and Vampirella, Detective Comics, Marvel Team-Up, Red Hood and the Outlaws, the She-Hulk Annual and the new book Tommy Gun Wizards.  Check me out on Twitter should you not have time for the full blog: #PickoftheBrownBag.

The damn fine Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty and Veronica continues with Vampirella cooling her high heels in the Riverdale Police Department’s jail.  Caught red-handed at the blood bank, I'm afraid.  Like Supergirl, Vampirella could easily break out if she wanted.

She has a point.  Vampirella never actually expressed a reason for helping humans.  After her first story, she builds an unblemished history of altruism toward humanity.  Red Sonja is in fact historically less of a hero than Vampirella.

V doesn’t actually need to bend bars.  Love the hair flip from artist Maria Laura Sanapo.  Veronica Lodge takes advantage of the goofy legal system, and V is out walking again.  In the daylight mind you.  Being an alien rather than undead possesses advantages.

Lying low, at the Lodge estate, Vampirella clues Sonja in about blood types.  This is actually a clue to the crimes occurring in Riverdale, and writer Amy Chu very cleverly brings up, situates and best times the revelation of the clue.

The mention of blood type draws our heroes to another Riverdale staple.  Josie and the Pussycats.  If you know, Josie from the Archie digests, the film or the cartoon, you may be a little surprised to see the new Josie.

I'm of one mind about this appeal to diversity.  I like it.  The costume’s been updated, but it’s still basically the spotted cat outfit with the little ears.  Gotta have the little ears.  Josie’s the second hottie with thigh-high boots.  So, bonus, and yeah, she’s black.  I’m partial to red heads, but so what? The white Josie had a good run.  Let black Josie have her fun.  

At the concert, things come to a head, as the Cult of Chaos, perhaps, causes trouble, though not as much as V behind the wheel of one of the Lodge’s sports cars.

Marvel Team-Up really irritates me.  Part of the problem lies with the schism between cinematic Captain Marvel and comic book Captain Marvel.  The other part of the problem fumes from an unreliable narrator named Walter Lawson.

The original Captain Marvel.  Real name Mar-Vell.  White-skinned Kree sent to earth to observe its potential level of threat.  He assumed the name Walter Lawson as a secret identity.  Lawson was already dead when Mar-Vell took the name, and he had nothing to do with his death.

The retro-fitted continuity rubbish eats up too much of the story.  If I accept Lawson's insidious gobbledygook, then his revelation undermines Captain Mar-Vell’s entire existence, most of spent defending the human race.  It also turns Carol into a dupe.  

She and Mar-Vell were closer than friends, but that relationship never really fruited into anything more.  Nevertheless, it would mean Carol also exhibited a poor choice in would-be-lovers for lack of a better term.  That’s some trite female characterization.  Until I know any better, I’m calling Lawson a Skrull with a Perception Filter that shields him from Carol’s detection.

Thank you Marvel for The Acts of Evil Annuals.  This is the second that I’ve read, and it’s even better than the Ms. Marvel Annual, which pretty much impressed the hell out of me, despite my not being a fan of Kamala Khan.  I am however a huge fan of the She-Hulk.  Since her very beginning.  Marvel reintroduced the character weirdly.  Acts of Evil shifts her back to back to normal.  

Even if during the opening chapter, she doesn't start that way.  Still, it’s a testament to writer Alexandra Petri that her dialogue singles out the figure as Jennifer Walters; although she doesn’t look the part.

The tale begins when Petri trots out an old whack-job villain I last saw in Captain America.  His appearance feeds into what’s going on with A.I. in Iron Man.  

The antagonist wants to retrieve his dog from an unsympathetic new owner,  He goes to Jennifer Walters.  She’s just about as impressed.

Somehow—but in a way that makes sense—this all leads to Daredevil villain Bullseye trying to scam a fortune from a dying billionaire who sounds a lot like Andrew Carnegie for the modern age.  The scheme is all about Mind-Swapping and what constitutes identity.  The execution is whacky and veers off into territory you do not expect, aided by  remarkable art from Andy McDonald.

Barbara Gordon’s return to a proper costume is the very best thing in Batgirl.

Full cowl.  Check.  Bat-like cape.  Check.  Blue-Eyes.  Ah, well.  Can't win them all.  The rest of Batgirl is mediocre, but I’ll admit.  I’m biased.  I don’t give a rat’s behind about Oracle Two, Electric Boogaloo.

I will give Batgirl this much.  It actually is a Year of the Villain tie-in.  More’s the pity.  

So where did this poor man’s Danger come from? I have no idea.  If I encountered Oracle Two Electric Boogaloo before, I have no knowledge of it now.

Cecil Castellucci’s introduction-maybe of a new Oracle excuses an effusive love of the good old days when Barbara Gordon couldn’t move a toe.  

When so many lovely people believed Babs was better off crippled by the Joker’s bullet in an imaginary story and confined to a wheelchair for about twenty-five years in the post-Crisis.  Go fuck yourselves.

Detective Comics reveals the Big Bad from last issue.  So, let’s say the name all together now.  Deadshot.

If you’re only a comic book dabbler, you probably only know Deadshot as Will Smith.

Deadshot was a marksman in tux and tails given new life by Detective Comics legends Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers.  

The more complicated costume stuck something fierce.  

Last issue, a lightning strike planted Deadshot and his targets on an island.  Batman as Bruce Wayne saved as many people as possible as the plane plummeted.  Upon crashing, Batman conveniently ended up separated.  He finds himself in a surprising chestnut situation.

Righto.  So if these guys lied about their ages and enlisted in their respective armies during World War II, each would be to be generous ninety-five.  Ninety-five.  I’m sorry.  My suspension of disbelief doesn’t stretch that far.

Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort reunite for perhaps the weirdest onset of Red Hood adventures.  Lobdell and Rocafort didn’t create Jason Todd, Speedy nor Starfire.  They did however unite them into a team.  

Rocafort’s style, nuanced with French sensibilities unwittingly generated controversy with his depiction of Starfire.  

Lobdell courted the same when he implied Starfire slept with Jason Todd and Speedy. Not at the same time, which neither would be wrong.  So, what’s the big hoopla? 

If you answered a double-standard that demands women only fall in love but men can be dogs, you are correct.

Red Hood and the Outlaws is easily the best Year of the Villain tie-in thus far.  Lex Luthor approached Red Hood with a typical offer from the devil.  

Jason, who like the Green Hornet only pretends to be a villain, accepted.  That’s how he winds up teaching the next generation of villainy.  It’s like the antithesis of the Super-Friends, and it’s as entertaining and funny as practically every Red Hood and the Outlaws issue I’ve read.

Lobdell and Rocafort also provided their talents for a New 52 Superman run.  They debuted a fascinating character named Dr. Shay Veritas, last seen canoodling with Cameron Chase in Supergirl.

She returns in Red Hood with continuity intact and a neat little explanation of why she shouldn’t be considered a hero.

As to the recruits, well.  This is a truly bizarre group of wannabe nasties.  A kind of Substitute Legion of Super-Villains or clutch of X-Men rejects, but that’s how Red Hood operates.  Lobdell takes the unloved, polishes them up and presents them to be loved.

I bought Tommy Gun Wizards on a whim.  It was a new book, a number one.  I’m always eager to try new things, even if they usually disappoint me.  The fact is that I gravitate toward super-heroes.  Always have.  Always will.

So, yeah, I didn’t expect to like Tommy Gun Wizards, but I’m adding it to my subscription list.  I had no idea that there would be heroes in the story.  I had no idea that those heroes would be Eliot Ness and the Untouchables.

Eliot Ness is a bona fide, honest to goodness historical champion. He and the Untouchables struck out against Al Capone and organized crime during Prohibition.  Though the mob tried to bribe them, Eliot and his men could not be bought.  Hence the name Untouchables.

Writer Christian Ward swaps booze for magic, and amusingly refers to the imbibers as lickers.  Get it? There’s a lot of jokiness like that in the book.  Ward knows exactly what he’s writing.  He benefits from embracing the outlandish while simultaneously granting justified dignity to Eliot Ness.  These Untouchables however are not the ones from time memorial.  They're more in the vein of 1940s film archetypes with a few curveballs added for diversity.  Still an entertaining bunch.