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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 5 years

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Michael in the Mainstream - Spider-Man: Far From Home/Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

It really is a good time to be a Spider-Fan.

This guy is hitting all the right notes lately: he’s got a great video game beloved by all who plays it, he’s one of the golden boys of the MCU after only a handful of appearances, and he featured in one of, if not THE greatest animated movie of all time. Now if only his comics would undo One More Day and they renewed Spectacular Spider-Man and gave it the finale it deserves, things would be absolutely perfect.

So with me being a big Spider-Man fan, I think it’s about time I talked about his greatest cinematic achievments: Into the Spider-Verse and Far From Home. That’s right, Spidey is so good he’s conquered two mediums and delivered his best stories within a year of each other. My only regret is not talking about both of these films sooner, but I suppose that just gives me the opportunity to praise them both at once.

The greatest common factor these two movies have between each other, and what makes both films infinitely relatable and entertaining, is how both films feature a young protagonist who has great responsibility thrust upon them and they must find some way to deal with it. In the case of Peter, he is saddled with the pressure of being able to live up to his mentor, Tony Stark, in the wake of Endgame’s finale and Tony’s sacrifice. Frankly, Peter just wants to be a normal teenager, get the girl, and have a good vacation – it’s perfectly understandable, and while it may come off as a bit selfish, Peter is still a young man, a young man who has suffered through numerous traumas in his life and is probably upset he can’t just be normal for once. Of course over the course of the film he remembers that with great power comes great responsibility, and he rises up to save the day.

Miles, on the other hand, while initially a bit confused and unsure of himself and what to do, really does want to live up to the memory of Spider-Man, who he only knew a brief time before his death. However, he lacks training, he doesn’t understand his own powers, and he just lacks faith in himself. The entire movie builds up his character, his relationships to others, and all he does so that moment when he takes his “leap of faith” is well-earned and solidifes the moment when he goes from merely being a Spider-Boy to truly earning the name of Spider-Man. I find it very interesting how the two Spider-Men in the two best Spidey movies have sort of opposite motivations – one is being crushed by the pressure to be a world-saving hero while only wanting to be normal, while the other wants to live up to the destiny thrust upon him but initially lacks the skill and finesse to do so – before coming to the same sort of ending. More than the man in the comics who sold his marriage to a demon because he couldn’t deal with the consequences of his actions, these Spideys realize the immortal phrase from Uncle Ben that I need not repeat.

Of course, what would a hero be without a villain to oppose them? Thankfully, both films deliver some of the best superhero movie villains anyone could ask for. Far From Home is a bit more focused, giving us one major antagonist: Mysterio, in the least shocking movie twist of all time. But it truly is a testament to how great an actor Jake Gyllenhaal is and how good a character Mysterio is that he is able to sell you on all of his hero garbage right up until the reveal, and even afterwards he never once drops that affable charm and charisma that belies his true nature as a petty sociopath. Mysterio has always been a character who has struggled to find good use in the comics due to writers not knowing how to use him; he does not have that problem here.

Into the Spider-Verse, on the other hand, goes for what most Spider-Man movies tend to do: cram a bunch of villains in and see what sticks. Thankfully, they manage to hit home runs three out of six times and only whiff twice. Let’s get the less impressive villains out of the way first: Tombstone and Scorpion. While Scorpion’s design is cool and he gets some decent fight scenes, he really could be swapped out with a generic mook and it really wouldn’t make any difference either way. Tombstone, on the other hand, is an absolutely pointless waste of a character, which is a real shame. He’s the bodyguard for a guy who killed Spider-Man with his bare hands and has superhumans and cyborgs under his employ, he’s frankly a bit superfluous. Green Goblin is the only middle ground villain, one who isn’t amazing but is certainly cool enough in his own right to leave an impression despite only having a single scene. His monstrous design really goes a long to selling his threat level and his brutal fight with the original Peter really is impressive. Sadly, he dies at the end of the fight and is quickly overshadowed.

Then we have the two side villains that really work: Prowler and Dock Ock. Prowler is the obvious one, as due to him being Miles’ uncle he adds a sort of tragic emotional connection, one that is only exacerbated once Prowler hesitates in killing his nephew and ends up becoming Miles’ stand-in for Uncle Ben. Dock Ock is a bit surprising, seeing as she is a somewhat unique take, essentially a genderbent original character version of Otto Ocatavius, complete with all that implies (yes, I am talking about the relationship with Aunt May). She’s been the big breakout villain of the movie, and with good reason: she’s cool, she’s cunning, and she’s hot, all hallmarks of a quality villain beloved by the masses.

And then we come to the big one, and I do mean big: Kingpin. Here, his size and intimidation is played up for all its worth, turning him into an absolute mountain of a man and giving him one of the slickest designs I have ever seen. He’s a brutal, ruthless thug, but he’s also given a legitimately tragic and heartbreaking reason to his actions, and while it certainly doesn’t redeem him, it does make him an interesting and complex character. If nothing else, it’s just really nice to see Liev Schreiber finally get to be the villain in a good superhero movie and a good animated movie villain, after getting the shaft in both regards on two previous occasions.

The ensemble casts of both films are great. Far From Home ropes in Maria Hill and Nick Fury, and finally gives Hill some more to do while letting Fury have a lot more fun and taking a more direct approach than usual. Aside from that, all the returning characters are improved – Happy is nicer, funnier, and a better mentor; Dash is still a jerk but he’s toned down and has a bit of tragedy to him; and MJ is fleshed out, given a personality, and has excellent chemistry with Peter. And then there is Peter’s best buddy Ned, who gets ne of the funniest romantic arcs I have ever seen in a movie. And I’d be remiss to not mention Peter’s bumbling teachers, who deliver some more top quality humor to the proceedings. I think it would be best to state now that Far From Home is honestly really funny, with pretty much all of its humor hitting the bullseye, and a lot of that has to do with just how well these people play their parts and dive into their characters with the sort of fun conviction you’d want out of Spider-Man characters.

Into the Spider-Verse has the heavily advertised Spider-Ham, Peni Parker, and Spider-Man Noir, but they actually only appear in the last third of the film and really only stick around to showcase how good the animation can handle other styles, fuel jokes, and help fight in some awesome fight scenes. Frankly, this is enough; they don’t really stick around long enough to overshadow Miles, but they’re also around just long enough to establish personalities and endear themselves to the audience. Out of the three, I find Peni to be the least interesting due to changing her mecha’s design from the more Evangelion-esque one from the comics as well as her just not really grabbing my attention all too much, but it’s easy to see why she has fans. Personally, I preferred the cartoony antics of Spider-Ham and the noir-tinged grittiness of Noir. Also, Noir is voiced by Nicolas Cage and Ham is John Mulaney. It would be a challenge for me to not love them.

The major supporting characters are Peter B. Parker and Gwen Stacy, and both manage to be great in their own right while, again, not overshadowing Miles, with Peter especially being an absolute blast, giving us the miserable, chubby, downbeat Peter we never knew we needed and having him go through a full arc of his own where Miles helps him overcome his hangups as much as Peter helps Miles. Gwen is a fun character, but she sadly doesn’t get quite as much of an arc as Peter, but that will definitely be expanded upon in sequels; she’s still a solid sidekick here. The rest of the supporting cast, such as Miles’ dad, are solid characters, and the film also gives what may be the best version of Aunt May ever (though all Aunt Mays are great and let no one tell you different); I don’t really think the supporting cast is quite as good as Far From Home’s overall, but it certainly does have memorable characters that will stick with you.

Before wrapping up, I of course have to address this: Spider-Verse has some of the most amazing animation I have ever seen. It truly captures that look of being taken right from a comic book, and there are just so many clever visuals and shots that it’s simply astounding. This is the pinnacle of CGI, and revolutionary in the field of stylized CGI. I hope other studios take notes on how to make CGI look good and stylish like this.

Into the Spider-Verse is just a stunning piece of animation. It has good characters, a solid plot, a lot of great humor, a lot of great emotion, and some really decent morals, all while paying tribute to the comics and the Raimi films and giving us some closure by adapting bits of the unused Raimi Spider-Man 4. It’s a beautiful tribute to everything we know and love of Spider-Man while also being a fantastic “passing the torch” story that gives Miles his own time to shine in the spotlight. This movie is basically what Big Hero 6 tried to be, but where that movie kind of stumbled over itself and felt more like a TV pilot for a series on the big screen, this feels like a fully fledged story unto itself. It also has one of the most beautifully poignant Stan Lee cameos ever, as well as what may be the greatest joke in Spider-Man history after the credits. If you love Spider-Man, see this movie. If you love animation, see this movie. If you love movies, see this movie. This might very well be the greatest animated film of all time, and it deserves to be seen.

Far From Home, meanwhile, is a fantastic achievement in live action Spidey cinema. It gives us a wonderful supporting cast, a love interest who actually has chemistry and isn’t a boring damsel that disgraces the name of her comic counterpart, an awesome villain, and genuine funny moments, and for once all of these things are in the same moment! This really solidifies MCU Spider-Man as being a fun, fresh take on a character who has been done to death in almost every medium; it keeps most of what we love while changing some details here and there so that Spider-Man can resonate more with modern audiences. What they do change tends to be for the better, too – I really have no problem, unlike a lot of people, with Tony “taking Uncle Ben’s place,” for a variety of reasons but not the least of which is the fact I’m frankly tired of seeing Uncle Ben die. Having him merely be the long dead motivator for Peter’s early heroics is enough for me. This is absolutely peak MCU, and a fantastic epilogue to the Infinity Saga. If you’re invested in the MCU or Spider-Man at all, this movie will be right up your alley. If you still need more convincing: they combined Raimi Jameson and PS4 Game Jameson into a character, and Simmons still plays him.

Both of these films are the cream of the crop when it comes to cinematic versions of Spider-Man, with Far From Home sitting comfortably up there with Spider-Man 2, if not surpassing it, and Into the Spider-Verse frankly taking on a league of its own, Both projects really alter the course of what can be done with Spider-Man, and it has me excited for all the future works involving the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man we might be seeing soon. With Spider-Verse getting sequels and spinoffs and Far From Home absolutely getting a sequel, it’s safe to say that anyone who loves Spidey will have plenty to love for years to come. And the best part is we will never have to worry about either Spidey making deals with Mephisto.

#Michael in the Mainstream #Review #movie review #Spider-Man #Into the Spider-Verse #Far From Home #MCU #Sony #superhero movie #superhero #Marvel

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kazephantom · 7 years

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Spider-Man Homecoming thoughts

Well, my first one is kind of a spoiler but I think it is important to know. Leave your expectations at the door. This is a new version of Spider-Man, one that is different from any other version. This is not Sam Rami Spider-Man, this is not Andrew Garfield Spider-Man, this is not Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon or comic, and this is not 616 Spider-Man. This is a new version, a new interpretation of the character and mythos. That being said, I liked it for what it is.

Thoughts and spoilers below the cut

The two best parts of the film are Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Micheal Keaton’s Adrian Toomes. The two actors play their characters so wonderfully well, Tom Holland’s Peter really, really reminds me of Tobey Maguire’s, from the voice he uses as Spider-Man, to how he sometimes comes off as lovably pathetic, and Hell, in some shots Tom Holland even starts looking like a younger Tobey Maguire. That being said, he does tell more than one joke in the film, so his Spider-Man has that over Maguire’s. Oh, it should be noted though, he does not have Peter’s anger. Even in the scene where Tony takes away the tech suit, I really expected him to get angry there and show that aspect of the character off, but instead he just, kinda starts to cry. Which, I don’t know how to feel about.

Micheal Keaton. Hands down. Plays the best MCU villain. To date. Better than Loki. There I said it. Hiddleston’s Loki has always had the problem of being too sympathetic to be taken seriously as a villain. But Keaton. Holy shit. Everything he does is for his family, there’s a scene where he’s with his family and he is so sweet and caring and a perfect father and husband, but then. HOO BOY. That car scene. The scene where Keaton is dropping Peter and Liz off at the dance, I had white knuckles all the way through it. The way he made Peter say ‘Thank you’ was terrifying. And the way he found out Peter was Spider-Man, as they drive and you start to see Keaton put the pieces together. HO-LY SH-IT. Only problem: nobody ever in this whole film calls him “The Vulture.”

Two more important notes about Spider-Man. First, Remember how in Civil War he was really, really strong? Well forget that, because in this film he’s really, really weak. Like, the weakest we’ve ever seen him. Not just his strength, but also his sticky powers. It is commonly accepted that Spider-Man’s stickiness is absolute, that it is an unbreakable molecular bond. When he sticks to something, if you try to remove him from it you will break the thing he is stuck to before the sticky bond comes undone. Well forget that. Because in this film Spider-Man is slippy and sliding all over the place when he’s sticking. Not just when he’s on a plane and in huge wind resistance where it might make sense, but when he’s climbing the Washington Monument, he can be seen sliding and loosing his grip on that too. This could just be chalked up to him being nervous and inexperienced, but I really, really, really hope that it changes going forward and that Marvel can stay consistent with how strong this version of Spider-Man is supposed to be. Oh yeah, and no, at no point in the film did Spider-Man ever express his Spider-Sense. I really hope this is just a case of “his powers are still growing”

Second point, that inexperienced bit. Yeah. This is the most inexperienced Spider-Man we have seen on film to date. I think the best symbol for this is the fact that this Spider-Man never once webswings in the city. He is always shown in the residential neighborhoods, never once does he really webswing around. He never goes to the big buildings. Again, for this movie I liked that and it fit it’s tone, but I really hope the next film has him going all out, and has him in true form.

No Daily Bugle, no J. Jonah Jameson. I really think they were afraid to recast him after J.K. Simmons’ legendary performance, and as humorous as that is, I’m kind of sick of it. Just recast already, we’re at the point now where it’ll be ok. Bite the bullet on this.

I was one of those people who was really afraid this film would turn out to be Iron Man 4, and I am happy, so so so happy to say it is not. Yes, Tony is in this, yes Iron Man is in this, but it’s not too much. Tony really only has four relatively short scenes that I can remember, but they are important scenes plot wise. I think he basically shows up to open and close every act. The movie is definitely about Peter though, thank god.

Oh yeah, and the Iron Spider is in the film. Or, a version of it. It invokes feelings of the Iron Spider, what with being an armored costume for Spider-Man, but in the end Peter turns it down and all for the better..... but I want a figure of it. It was kinda hard to see the design, since it was in shadow a little, and there was no glory shot of it, but what I saw of it was cool and I want a figure of it.

Best Aunt May, her role in the film is what every Aunt May’s role should be. Oh, and that was the absolute best way to end the film “WHAT THE FU--”

Oh yeah, I was also worried about the highschool setting, since 30 year old writers pretty much never know what a modern highschool is like, (I’m 23, only 5 years out from it), but this highschool setting was perfect. The teachers. Just. Did. Not. Fucking. Care. And that is so much my highschool experience.

Zendaya is MJ, but she’s not Mary Jane, and she’s really only there to set-up for the sequel. It’s really nice set-up though. They seem to have a good grasp on the idea of MJ’s character, how she wears a metaphorical mask to hide her true self just like how Peter wears a literal mask. All we see in this film is her metaphorical mask persona and it’s good to be acquainted with that before exploring her further. NOW, Yes, I would have preferred 616 the-mask-is-a-party-girl-Mary-Jane, and yes, Changing the character’s real name to Michelle is absolutely fucking unnecessary and stupid. But I think it’s too early to judge this version of the character because we have so little information about them.

Also there to set-up for the sequel is Mac Gargan, he has a role in the film itself as one of the people buying Vulture’s tech, but really his most important bit is the mid-credits scene, where he sets up the Sinister Six, and then Micheal Keaton’s Vulture wonderfully knocks that set-up down. Also, he does not become Scorpion in this, though if he does come back in the sequel to be Scorpion I’d be cool with it. His character is pretty much a total psychopath and we haven’t seen Spidey fight a villain like that in the movies yet.

That being said, if the next movie is Sinister Six I have total faith in Marvel to be able to do it, since this film had Vulture, Tinkerer, Prowler, Scorpion, and two Shockers in it, yet it never felt like that weighed the film down. Showing Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 once and for all that it doesn’t matter how many villains you have, it’s how you use them that matters

The post-credits scene is the funniest one yet. Funnier than Deadpool’s even.

Now, there are two things about this movie that I absolutely LOATHE... or, at least don’t like and think were completely unnecessary

Ned-- Holy fuck he was annoying. His dialogue was nowhere as cringy as it was in the trailers, since they did that thing were they used alternate takes for the trailer lines, and yeah, the trailers for this film did not do it justice at all. Ned’s “But you are a kid” line in the trailers sounds so forced and poorly acted, like he’s trying to be epic about it but comes off instead like he’s out of breath, but in the film it is so much more natural and quick. Back to the point though. Yeah, he’s just Ganke. They stole Ganke from Miles, gave him a white guy name, and gave him to Peter. And ‘Nedke’ and Peter do not have the same chemistry that Miles and Ganke have. Nedke’s role in the film is basically to just be a tool, a tool for the film so that Peter has someone to talk to to explain things too, and someone to be really, really stupid. And that role would’ve been served so so so so so much better by Harry Osborn without the stupidity. There is a montage at one point where Nedke is asking Peter a bunch of Spider-Man questions out in the open and Peter is just trying to get him to shut up, and it was so annoying I wished Peter would punch him in the fucking face. ....That being said he had one of the funniest jokes in the movie. “I’m... watching porn?”

Karen-- Hoo-boy. Ok. So. Spider-Man really is kind of just an Iron Man Jr. Even down to the fact that his suit has it’s own AI that talks to him and tells him what to do and stuff. The taser webs are stupid and unnecessary, as is so so so much of the tech in Peter’s suit. I’m glad that the webwings are clearly shown to just be for short range gliding, but I still think they’re unnecessary. The film seems to go out of it’s way to show how Peter’s standard webline could be limited in certain situations, from being in a residential neghborhood, to climbing the Washington Monument where there’s nothing else around to swing on, setting an action scene on a boat (which how Iron Man saved that boat is completely physics defying), to even having Peter go way up into the air on a plane. Back on point, yeah, Spider-Man’s suit has a completely unnecessary AI. It’s only real purpose in the entire film is to be the punch line to one joke where the AI, which should have no human emotions or concept of human relations, tells Peter to kiss Liz.

Other things I didn’t like but don’t really get on my nerves too much

The music sucked. Just, sucked. The only one that was any good was the orchestral version of the 60′s theme song. I’m really torn with which theme I like better, the Orchestral 60′s or the Rami theme. One of these days though, I need to put together a Spider-Man playlist and show these films what that should be like.

Peter didn’t end up beating the villain, he just won through pure coincidence. Which I guess can be part of the point and audiences might be tired of the “good guy wins through a fist fight” climax, but still, Peter’s victory in this just, didn’t feel earned. He didn’t show Vulture error of his ways, or talk him out of a life of crime, Vulture’s wings just took on enough coincidental damage to finally explode of their own accord.

Alright, I think that’s everything I wanna get down. Or at least everything I can think of right now. I’m tired now, gunna go watch some reviews, see what others thought and hopefully get to see this film in theaters again soon with friends.

#Spider-Man #Spider-Man Homecoming #Marvel #MCU #Peter Parker #Tom Holland #Spiderman

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totesmccoats · 7 years

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Batman #27

One man finds himself caught between the forces of the War of the Jokes and Riddles like a kite in a hurricane, being pushed and pulled between Joker, Riddler, and Batman; and his family’s safety hanging in the balance.

There’s been one character that’s popped up randomly but reliably since King started his run on Batman, and he finally gets an issue (at least one issue) all to himself. Ironically, King is using his focus on this character to give us a ground level perspective on the war, what it’s like to be a small time criminal with some notable skills in the middle of one of the most tumultuous times in Gotham’s history. It’s not only the opportunity to give pathos to someone who’s been a joke up until now, but in that pathos, we better understand the toll this war pays on even the D-listers of the city. And, of course, King handles it with the same poetry he’s handled the rest of the series, showing us the seeds of a flower that’s already bloomed.

Superman #27

It’s time for a Kent family vacation, and for the Independence Day (this comic is a wee bit late), they’re going on a tour of American memorials, with Clark and Lois teaching Jon about the history that makes them worth the trip.

I’m a fan of hokey and schmaltzy, but patriotic schmaltz is where I draw the line. After all, there’s history and there’s hierography, and it’s hard for me to tolerate any account of, for example, the founders, without bringing up their hypocrisies of slave ownership and genocide. Plus, there’s the general glorification of war that happens whenever you do this type of thing that sours even sweet scenes like the Kents treating a hopeless vet to dinner and standing up for his right to dine somewhere even if he may “disturb other customers.”

Superman is meant, in part, to represent the best of American ideals, and unfortunately, this comic doesn’t really touch those.

Green Arrow #27

Here, however, is a comic that discusses America in a way I can get behind.

Green Arrow’s search for the Ninth Circle takes him to Washington DC, where he runs into Wonder Woman, and the two foil a plot to increase America’s support of war, and thus military spending.

Green Arrow doesn’t even try for subtlety here, at times reading like a polemic against America’s hawkishness – which is incredible. Oliver waxes on about how the Ninth Circle uses fear to motivate people to their side by convincing the public that the only way to feel safe is to buy more and more weapons to protect them from an increasingly dangerous threat – a threat they engineer, of course. He even lectures about himself and his own ignorance of his privilege when he first began as the Green Arrow.

But what’s so effective is that, despite how over the top things get in this comic, the results are all too familiar. A formally pro-peace senator being scared into supporting increased “defense.” Despite saving the day, Oliver and the comic believe that, regardless of political affiliation, all politicians are motivated by fear and eventually learn to support endless war for the sake of feeling secure. It’s all lies acted on for the sake of profit.

The Wild Storm #6

We’re 25% through this story, which, in Ellis time, means that it’s finally appropriate time for an infodump.

After an expertly scripted and executed fight scene, that reads like John Wick fighting Jaws from 007, between Cray and the two-person kill-squad sent to kill him ends with Cray accepting Christine Trelane’s job offer – Adrianna brings Spica to Jake Marlowe’s base in Brooklyn so she (and we) can get some questions answered about IO, Skywatch, and how this world is run.

The way the comic is put together, the fight in the beginning feels like having your dessert before your dinner; quenching our action-tooth before giving us some nourishing exposition. But I don’t want to give the impression that this is dry exposition. Ellis still writes some of the sharpest dialogue in comics (and TV and film), and Davis-Hunt still finds ways to make two people talking at a table graphically disturbing when certain reveals make it appropriate. Between this and Clean Room, he’s become my favorite comic artist for scenes of the grotesque and Giger-esque.

Secret Empire #6

While lost-Steve continues to be tortured by the Red Skull, and the heroes trapped in the Darkforce dimension do their best to keep Tandy’s light; Hydra unleashes a full-on assault on the resistance base. And inside their crumbling base, the resistance tears themselves apart trying to find their mole.

This issue is all over the place, not giving any of its developments any time to breathe. I’m not sure if this issue is supposed to end on a high-point or low-point, and I doubt that’s intentional. Through the issue is a narration that starts with Steve talking about how all heroes are hypocrites who fight only for their own pride and reputation, then goes to Hawkeye during the attack on the Mount where he seems to admit defeat before being reminded of why heroes really fight. And there’s a dramatic showdown between Steve and Tony that intentionally echoes the first Civil War. Hydra unleashes the Hulk on the resistance in what feels like it’s supposed to be the story’s lowest point, but this is right about the point in the story where Hawkeye’s narration tells us that this is where all the heroes regain their nerve…and then there’s a nuke and we’re supposed to believe everyone died even though we saw them all escape…?

Again, nothing has room to actually land and breathe before the issue hits us over the head with the next dramatic moment. While I’m normally against extending these events at all – and this one is already set to be 10 issues – this issue could’ve easily been split into two that allow for a better dramatic arc to unfold over the course of this one battle.

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #2

After a brief misunderstanding with Ironheart, who eventually agrees to help Peter with the hacked Stark phone, Pete heads back to New York to summarize Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business to a confused Johnny Storm, and then go on his date with Rebecca…in full costume.

Like Zdarksy’s other books with Marvel, this one slows down and takes us more towards the ground-level with its characters, putting more focus on their day-to-day rather than whatever big criminal plot they’re gonna have to face. We spend a lot more time with Peter in his apartment chatting with Teresa and Johnny, or out on his date than we do following up on the hacked phone.

And Zdarksy writes the most natural sounding Peter dialogue in any Spider-Man comic today. Where Bendis’ writing can often feel like the characters are reading from a script, and many of Slott’s quips feel (appropriately) forced; Zdarsky’s Peter reads like someone legitimately saying the first funny thing that pops into his head, and is appropriately hit-and-miss. That feeling is also aided by the more normal situations that Peter’s found himself in this issue; as he’s quipping during a date, not while fighting supervillains.

I think, more than not mentioning his current status quo as a billionaire, the reason that this series feels like a return to form is because it’s focusing a lot more on Peter than Spider-Man.

Ms. Marvel #20

In this issue’s opening pages, Ms. Marvel establishes itself as the ideal of “the world outside your window” that all Marvel comics that choose to attempt that should strive towards. Aamir, who was arrested for no reason last issue, pleads his case explaining his innocence, and even explains who the authorities should look for if they want to find terrorists that look like him. It’s an eloquent and grounded explanation of who gets radicalized and why, delivered by a character in a situation that reflects our unfortunate reality. It’s a clear-headed and powerful scene, and more comics should strive for such relevancy.

Then, Ms. Marvel wakes up from being knocked-out last issue, and jumping back into action, finds herself in the middle of a Chuck Worthy rally. Worthy’s speech is reflective of the sort of conservative rhetoric of law and order and nostalgia that unfortunately wins elections; but presents it in a way that doesn’t necessarily hit you over the head with it, like a comic like Green Arrow would.

This arc – and this series overall – successfully puts it’s hero against clear analogues for real world issues, and makes them approachable and resonant. Yeah, you’re getting a story about a stretchy girl that punches bad robots, but Ms. Marvel has also told stories about gentrification, online-harassment, and islamophobia that confront each issue with the same tenacity that Kamala confronts her villains.

Bitch Planet: Triple Feature #2

And where Ms. Marvel tackles real world issues with a degree of allegory, Bitch Planet has always come at it from the angle of parody – ramping up the real world effects of white patriarchy to what are supposed to be ridiculous extremities. Like the last triple feature, this issue takes us off the prison planet and to Earth itself, where life isn’t that much better for women.

The first story, Bits and Pieces, shows us a child’s beauty pageant in Bitch Planet, where tween girls are judged on the beauty of a single body part, and has one heck of a final page. The second, This is Good for You, shows us a propaganda film. And the third and longest story, What’s Love Got to do With it?, tells the story of one woman’s quest to get married before her family is forced to pay an “Old Maid tax,” and explores how dating is done on Bitch Planet.

All of these stories are generally funnier than the main series, each acting as a short parody of a single aspect of what living in an uber-patriarchy would be that rather than telling the sort of wide-ranging story of the main title. This means that each story is also sharper, with single page conclusions finding inventive ways to twist the knife like the best episodes of The Twilight Zone.

Comic Reviews for 7/19/17 Batman #27 One man finds himself caught between the forces of the War of the Jokes and Riddles like a kite in a hurricane, being pushed and pulled between Joker, Riddler, and Batman; and his family's safety hanging in the balance.

#batman #bitch planet #dc comics #green arrow #marvel #ms. marvel #peter parker #secret empire #spider-man #superman #triple feature #wild storm

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totesmccoats · 7 years

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Batman #27

Superman #27

Superman is meant, in part, to represent the best of American ideals, and unfortunately, this comic doesn’t really touch those.

Green Arrow #27

Here, however, is a comic that discusses America in a way I can get behind.

Green Arrow’s search for the Ninth Circle takes him to Washington DC, where he runs into Wonder Woman, and the two foil a plot to increase America’s support of war, and thus military spending.

The Wild Storm #6

We’re 25% through this story, which, in Ellis time, means that it’s finally appropriate time for an infodump.

Secret Empire #6

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #2

I think, more than not mentioning his current status quo as a billionaire, the reason that this series feels like a return to form is because it’s focusing a lot more on Peter than Spider-Man.

Ms. Marvel #20

Bitch Planet: Triple Feature #2

#batman #bitch planet #dc comics #green arrow #marvel #ms. marvel #peter parker #secret empire #spider-man #superman #triple feature #wild storm

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