Part of me actually toyed with talking about the social and political ideologies at the heart of Hobo With a Shotgun . But chances are, if you are going to see a film like Hobo with a Shotgun , you are not going to care in the slightest about any of that. Every time my brain was about to make a connection to something I read about, a bot of film theory, or anything I learned in university, the film pistol whipped me and told me to stop being such a pussy.
Xombi #1 was a surprise for me. An awesome surprise! My random pick from the comic shelf, the art just grabbed my attention, being almost Baroque in its richness and visual impact. I was, and to a certain extent still am, unfamiliar with the character, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying creator John Rozum’s new take on this formerly languishing DC Comics character.
Mark Millar is back in perfect writing form with this latest issue of Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates . Returning to the Marvel Universe he was instrumental in shaping, Millar had the daunting task of trying to salvage the wreck that his once-great masterpiece had become under Jeph Loeb’s direction. And while the first two Ultimate Avenger titles were a good start, the third one left me cold. Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #2 though, is Millar at his best.
Limitless is a story about smart people who make bad choices that turn them into even smarter people, who then make worse choices. It’s a light, well-made action-thriller about kickass unearned power and privilege, which brings the fun but never quite shows us the dark side that it keeps threatening to.
The masterful cinematic combination of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have oodles of talent on their own; but bring the three of them together, and they hit a whole new level of brilliance. Separate the trio, and while the work is still very good, it doesn’t quite reach the same peak. Scott Pilgrim is one example of this; and now Paul is another. Not a great film, but a very good one.
With every comic book movie adaptation, there is a flood of new titles that showcase the soon-to-be silver screen hero. Captain America: The First Avenger will be no different, and in addition to the regular on-going series, this week saw the arrival of three different comics with the star-spangled hero headlining.
I enjoyed Sigil #1, but having never read the original series - published by CrossGen from 2000 to 2003 - I found the comic’s plot a bit thin and somewhat confusing. Still, Leonard Kirk’s attention-grabbing artistic style more than made up this, and has me eagerly awaiting issue #2.
Do you like modern war movies, gritty action, alien invasions, Aaron Eckhart and (most importantly) do you really really like over-the-shoulder shaky cam? Do you not care for things like original dialogue, plotting, or characters? If this describes you, then Battle: Los Angeles is what you should be watching right now.
5 Ronin is a new mini-series, being released in weekly succession, which reinvents five of Marvel’s most popular characters in 17th century Japan. This is an out-of-continuity tale, in the same vein as DC's Elseworlds line, or Marvel’s 1602 .
This is the most explosively violent and absolutely drop-dead gorgeous comic I have read since R. Grampa’s Mesmo Delivery , Carbon Grey from Image Comics could easily be the best new book of 2011.
Dethklok #3 reads just like an episode of the wildly dark and humorous TV show Metalocalypse , from which it is spawned. The comic takes its name from the heavy metal band that the animated show revolves around. This isn't classic, ground-breaking, soul-searching writing, but not every comic needs to be an epic examination of the worlds of our imagination. Dethklok is just pure awesomeness.
Simon is not an ordinary young man. His seemingly innocuous job, as a high-school biology teacher, is an odd a cover for his strange existence as a serial killer. The women he murders are intent on suicide; he just gives them the option of dying quickly and painlessly - by exsanguinating them, and then drinking their blood. While this might sound like the outline of a horror film, director Iwai Shunji’s remarkable film Vampire is in truth a quiet, dark, and intense drama, a strange take on the vampire myth, and an oddly compelling love story.
Abyss is the latest comic title from the Canadian publisher Red 5, best known for their Atomic Robo series. Abyss focuses on Eric Hoffman, who has just inherited his father’s mansion, corporate fortune, and super-villain tech. If this sounds slightly familiar, you might be thinking of the starting premise of Wanted by Mark Millar. Abyss is no rip-off though, instead taking a lighthearted look at a young man trying to define himself in the long shadow of his father’s legacy.
Style over substance. That is the typical first reaction when someone mentions the Power Girl title. Or, thoughts of cheesecake art that hangs on skeleton thin plotlines. This is not the case though.
Fantastic Four #588 is emotionally powerful, visually gripping, and a definite must read. Dealing with the aftermath of the Human Torch’s death, this heart wrenching tale is everything the last issue wasn’t for me. With no dialogue until the final page, the story still conveys so much about these characters and their supporting cast. Plus, it has the best Hulk versus The Thing battle ever. You have to read to find out why!
