Into the Longbox

We have now come to the end of this new Star Wars trilogy. I have taken some time to let it sit with me before I wrote about it. I had some very strong feelings afterwards and after a few days, I still have them. What you are about to read is a severe nitpicking of some of the elements of this movie. I only do that when I have turned on a movie. Although I did not find this movie objectively bad (re: The Last Jedi), I still have problems with it. I will warn you before you go further. There will be a lot of spoilers here. I can't make my main complaints/compliments without mentioning specific moments in the film. There, that's your warning. After this point, it is on YOU. I will be up front and say I thought it was okay. I did not love it (Force Awakens) or hate it (Last Jedi), so this falls in between. While I like J.J. Abrams, I think he and Disney tried to do two things with this film. Right the wrongs of Last Jedi and also double down on the nostalgia and history o...

It has been a long time since I have written on this blog and I come out of my hibernation to talk about a months old "podcast"?? Look, it is what it is, okay? Anyways, I finally finished "Wolverine: The Lost Trail" and these Marvel podcasts (the new buzzword for Radio Drama apparently) are really good. I know I had my gripes  about Richard Armitage as Wolverine, but I take that all back. He is pretty good here. What's even more, they have expanded the cast in this story to include Gambit. You can't be in New Orleans and not bring in our favorite Cajun. The voice actor for Gambit sounded a little older than how I would imagine it in my head, but he was still good nonetheless. Equally impressive is the actor for the new character, Marcus Baptiste. The relationship between Wolverine and Marcus is akin to Wolverine and Jubilee or Wolverine and Kitty Pryde. I guess I'm trying to say that Wolverine seems to go through more child sidekicks. The differenc...

X-Marks the spot with this series! (Ugh. I know. Sorry about that) Last week, the last issue of Jonathan Hickman's X-men two mini-series came to an end. His return to Marvel was billed as a big event that would change the landscape of the X-men forever (until the next big thing). I can say definitively that he has done just that. If you read comics, I get that Hickman is not everyone's cup of tea. He tends to write grand, long spanning, complicated stories. Separately, the pieces do not make sense, but they come together as a whole at the end. There is a brilliance in the way that he writes because he is well aware of what he is doing and you just have to wait till the end. I say all that to say that each issue of his book went from confusing to masterful. Now that it is all done, I can say it is definitely masterful. He has definitely reshaped the X-Men. Their mission is now different. I truly enjoyed this series and there were genuine, mouth wide open surprise moments...

If I hear send in the clowns one more time... I wanted to write this up as soon as I could while my memory is still fresh. I will start off by applauding DC for trying to do something different than it's normal super hero fare. With that being said, this was not a movie that we needed. This is the kind of origin story I don't want, especially for the Joker. As I think about this movie, there were many things that I thought were problematic. I swear I will have a few good things to say, but let me start with what I didn't like. This movie is extremely slow. I get they are trying to do a slow build, but time is money and this movie wasted both for me in the first half of the movie. We follow around Arthur Fleck, who will become the Joker. He is the saddest of sad sacks, with aspirations to be a comedian, but missing that thing you need. Good jokes. We spend too much time in his day to day as he lives with his mom and tries to chase his dreams. They try to make him s...

My apologies. I should have written this a few months ago when I actually finished the show. I would have had a much hotter take then. Since then, I've moved on with life, watched other shows and almost forgot I had watched this. Not in a bad way because I thought the show was very good. What's funnier is that people really do have a read on me now. I had a lot of people asking if I watched this show (before I actually watched it) because it's about super heroes. Maybe I have been too transparent and need to pull back. What a time we are living in when you can be a nerd out in the open and NOT get made fun of. This kind of stuff I would have had to keep to myself when I was younger. Anyways, I digress. The Boys. Let's talk about it. I never read the comic book series it is based off of. I know OF it, but didn't care to read it. Back then, I was not ready for Garth Ennis or his various series that pushed the limits of what was explicit in comic books at the ...

Just when it seemed like we just had season 1 less than a year ago, along came season two of Cloak and Dagger. Since I already talked about this show before (Season 1), I won't sit here and bore you about how I'm a fan of the characters, blah blah blah. You've heard me do that enough on this blog. It won't stop me, but I won't bring that into THIS review. So yeah, season two. I still love this show. As I've gotten older, I've gravitated more towards these YA type shows (Runaways, Riverdale, etc.) and I really don't know how I should feel about it. Oh, I know. I am comfortable in my own skin and I will like what I want! Ahem. Ahem. As I thought about it, it's hard for me to explain why I like this show so much, but I'll try to explain. I really loved that they moved the characters from New York (in the comics), to New Orleans. It gives the chance to have a unique style to the Marvel shows in the same way that Runaways does. This season, Ta...

At the suggestion of a friend, I downloaded "Wolverine: The Long Night" from iTunes. Although billed as a "podcast", this was like an old school radio drama. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. After getting through all ten episodes, each averaging about thirty minutes a piece, I can give an honest opinion. I was surprised at how much I liked it. It is a very well produced radio drama. It has moody music in the right places, it has good sound design in that they mimic when people are across the room and good sound effects. I thought the setting of Alaska was a perfect backdrop for this particular story. Wolverine in the wilderness or being that stranger in a sleepy town is definitely on brand. He is the guy that is trying to mind his own business, but gets drawn into events because he is a hero. I also liked the methodical pace of the story telling and the mystery that unfolded. It wasn't too fantastical and none of the other X-Men make an...

Welcome again, dear readers. Join me as we celebrate another entry into my Panels in Tremendousness. We have a real treat this time. You've come here before, so you know the deal. If not, here's the deal because I should know better than to assume things. I'm going to show a panel that is completely out of context, but on it's face it's pretty funny. If you DON'T find it funny, then why are we even friends!?! Sorry, I digress. This gem is from Marvel Team-Up #110. The only reason I wear glasses is because my perceptions have been dazzled ONE TOO MANY TIMES! Look, comic books in the seventies/eighties had a real penchant for goofy dialogue combined with stating the obvious. In case you couldn't tell, Dazzler is the one shooting the light beams. You know how I know? Not because I own and read the comic smart ass. It's because I speak Marvel. The bad guys specific choice of words key you in. How many times have YOU talked about having your perceptions...

Now that I've seen Spider-Man: Far From Home twice, as per the usual, I feel like I can fully talk about it. Thankfully, the viewings were only a few days apart, so I still have some hot takes left in me. I want to warn you, there WILL be spoilers. I loved this movie. I did like Homecoming more, but this one is still really good. It picks up on the threads left in the wake of Avengers: End Game. One of the questions I had with fellow nerds was, what will the world be like for all those people that have come back from the Thanos snap. Thankfully this movie tackles that within the first ten minutes of this movie. Their handling of it made me not question it anymore and hopefully we don't have to hear any more about it. Before I go any further, let me just shout this from the mountain tops. Tom Holland is far and away the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man that we've gotten. There is no questioning this. End of discussion. He carries these movies and he is exactly like ...

I finally saw X-Men: Dark Phoenix a few nights ago. I figured if I don't write this post now after sleeping on it for a few days, I'll never write it. I'm not going to sit here and waste your time talking about how big an X-Men fan I've been or any of that background info I normally start these with. I'm going to just jump right in. Also, there will be SPOILERS . You've been warned. Before I go into my reasons why, this movie is bad. Not dumpster fire bad like I was expecting, but it was definitely bad. After the movie ended, my wife made note of my exasperated sigh. When I think about how many X-Men movies we've had, this movie makes me spectacularly sad. In my eyes, we have had way more bad X-Men movies than good ones. If I take away X-Men universe films (Wolverines and Deadpools), we are left with an underwhelming bunch. This movie marks the seventh in the mainline X-Men movies. I can say I legitimately loved two of them. After this movie, that count ...

No, I'm not trying to make a broad statement or start this post with something like, "Webster's dictionary defines excellence as...". I wanted to briefly talk about this new Image series, "Excellence". Now for me to write a post about a comic shortly after reading it must tell you something. Permit me to get on my soap box for a moment for this special episode. A short description of this book is basically, a futuristic world where a young man, Spencer, is born into a world of magic. His father is a member of a secret society of black magicians who are charged with making the world a better place by unseen masters. There is a lot to unpack in that statement, but let's just let that sit there. This isn't the reason I'm writing this. I just read issue #2 and while I thought it was...well, excellent, it's the letter from the artist Khary Randolph at the back that made me want to post. My hope is that it will entice you all to pick up th...

Welcome to another entry into Kevin's Panels in Tremendousness. Like before, I won't give you any context for this panel. Instead, I will not insult your intelligence, dear readers. I know you can pick up on context clues. However, with this panel... you know what, judge for yourself. This is from Fantastic Four #172. That's funny. My wife sends me to...another room when I bother her. It happens... a LOT. I'm a nuisance. So I guess this was a common phrase in the Seventies? I mean, I've never heard this line before in my life. Using my skills of deduction I guess by saying a chick, "Sends me" means he is ready to settle down and be an honest man and not be some misogynist cop. That's what he meant right? However, let's give him a few points back. Clearly a woman being follically challenged doesn't stop him. Maybe he's more progressive than we give him credit for. He will not be constrained by the seventies norm of what beauty is. No...

I'm creating a new, let's say, feature of my blog. As I read comics, I tend to get tickled by some of the panels because they are a:) legitimately funny or more commonly b:), they are from older comics in an era where the story telling or dialogue is tailor made to be goofed on. Because I am not selfish, I want to share with YOU, dear reader. I won't even provide any story context for these. I think it will be funnier that way. Then I will briefly provide my thoughts. So, for my inaugural post, I submit this panel for your consideration from "Luke Cage, Power Man" #46. Sometimes my Jive-Mouth can get a little dry. I tend to drink a bottle of haterade to quench my thirst. So we have Luke Cage actually using the words, "Jive-mouth". Now I didn't live in the 70's, so maybe that was a real insult. Somehow, I think not. As a short aside, I once was going to write up a post about how in the past, the majority of black characters were written by ...

So in traditional click-bait fashion, I wanted to do my personal favorite moments/things from Avengers End Game. This will be FULL of spoilers , so buyer beware. Also, your opinion of me may change after you see the roller coaster of emotions this movie took me on! Let's count it down with #12! 12. Iron Man's Death - Let's go ahead and acknowledge that Tony Stark had become almost borderline unlikable. You can say that Captain America is self righteous, but at least you feel like he comes from a place of good. Iron Man always felt like he was looking out for himself. You do understand some of his frustration, but the movie does a good job humanizing him before he makes the ultimate sacrifice. Pepper telling him he can finally rest did me in. He also had a truly touching moment with Peter Parker before all this. There is also a great panning shot of all the characters at his funeral. It's fitting that the guy that started this universe is the one that saves them in th...

Now that a couple of weeks have passed and I have seen this movie two times, I feel like I am in a place to finally talk about it. This will be as spoiler free as possible, but I'm only human. Also, it HAS been a month. For those that know me, it should come as no surprise that I really liked this movie. The first time I saw it, the one word I used to sum this movie up was, "Satisfying". This movie is the culmination of over ten years of Marvel movies. It also serves as the end of an era. First off, for anyone looking for the wall to wall, big time battles and spectacle that was Infinity War, you won't find that here. This movie is slower and more introspective than the last movie. I think it is a refreshing change because you get to spend time with a smaller cast of characters. Some of which might be the last time you see them. If you thought the last movie was a gut punch, this movie is even more devastating, if you can imagine that. So as I was saying, one...

I remember a time just a year or two ago, when I would binge watch the newest Netflix Marvel show in a weekend. One because I could, two because I thoroughly enjoyed them. I have to be honest, I have definitely reached critical mass with these shows. This was no more evident than my experience in viewing the second season of the Punisher. Like all the other Netflix shows, this one could have been wrapped up in a nice, tidy ten episodes. Instead it goes to thirteen. The reason I had such high praise for season 2 of Iron Fist is it stood at 10 episodes and knew when to wrap it up. This show and others are frustrating because they keep going. I feel like this is the same complaint I have made about every Netflix show they have done. Looking back on it, I think the first season of Daredevil is the only one I didn't feel like it was too padded. This season just had way too much going on. Each of these show have some degree of realism and that is what leads to their grittiness a...

To think that we live in a world where two different Captain Marvel movies can exist at the same time via their respective companies. If you don't get why I made that reference, don't worry about it. Means you're more normal than me. Anyways, through Fandango, I was able to see Shazam! a full two weeks before it's actual release. When this movie was first announced, I thought it was a stretch in the same way that Ant-Man was for Marvel. This is the movie that I felt no one was asking for. Like Ant-Man, I was pleasantly surprised by a movie that was unmoored from the current continuity of the DC Movie universe. People were name dropped, but do not appear in this movie. I will make this as spoiler free as possible. First off, let me say this. This movie is fun. This is the light hearted movie that DC needed. Frankly, I'm surprised it has taken this long. I love that this movie used the more modern take of Shazam as written by Geoff Johns over the past few yea...

I don't know how I forgot to write about this, but here we are. I finished the second season of Runaways a few weeks ago and yet I didn't write my thoughts down. I'm seriously slipping. Because I can't remember all the finer details, I guess this will be a shorter review. My gift to you, my dear reader. In short, I thought the second season of Runaways, while good, didn't capture the magic for me like the first season. In fact, I thought this season was a lot more middling. I'll try to explain without giving away in big plot points. In the last season, you had this whole mystery about how bad WERE the Pride. Our heroes fought against them and eventually ran away, hence the title. It's about branding people! This season, they ran away so... now what? That's what this season feels like. They get into misadventures, they clash with their parents multiple times and it feels like everyone turns on each other at some point. Maybe the point is that fa...

Now that I have seen Captain Marvel twice, I feel like I am in a good position to talk about it. If you know me, if I see a film multiple times, that is an indicator that I really liked it. I don't go and see EVERY movie multiple times, that's for sure. I'm not made of money. This movie warranted it. Be warned, I do my best to not give away any spoilers, but there may be things I say that give away some plot points. With that rambling opening out of the way, let me say that I really liked this movie. The Marvel formula still holds. Since the Marvel machine has been rolling for years now, outside of Black Panther and Doctor Strange, we haven't had to deal with an origin movie for a while now. So it was almost refreshing to be introduced to a new character that wasn't embroiled in the bombastic Infinity War movie we just had. However, this movie does give context to why Nick Fury went to his pager at the end of that film. I'll go a step further and say that...

With black history month almost over (I had originally intended this to be up at the BEGINNING of the month), I thought I'd take some time to talk about what I am seeing in the comic book landscape. Over the years, this industry has done it's best to become more diverse. Both in it's creators as well as the characters themselves. As with any fandom as passionate as comic books, there have been the harsh backlash to some of this added diversity. Even criticism from the very same people that work for these companies have made  ridiculous  claims. I will admit that I was initially skeptical of earlier attempts at diversity. That was because it did not feel authentic. It was as if the companies were clicking a box. However, over the past few years younger, more diverse talent has appeared. Now the market is truly becoming more diverse. There is a little something for everyone. I am happy that kids today get to see this. This post is about the books with black characters o...