tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72911255037989688822024-03-13T00:12:23.282-07:00Girls, Guns & CigarettesNathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.comBlogger682125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-40615078398976419402023-12-01T12:19:00.000-08:002023-12-01T19:09:27.891-08:00THE LAST TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN 20: FIN DE SIECLE Available NOW!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXI7_Ynqc8ABiaKY1T_y-eTvYkPPfHGsgj_4HB3x2_9ZBmGZIHaXM8cBLhGhFidwTLfVQDpY9JvFf3bxLQCGb42jCuQUVWL5Z0wJYSB8nmNNCrzLF_g0TIsIeZ7kfcn_AT963wLsAG3XRWvQo-FkNv07TXwa5J1ZUzAERCu2ZEIFBzN-sgTjemQkFtYc8/s649/talesshadowmen2001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXI7_Ynqc8ABiaKY1T_y-eTvYkPPfHGsgj_4HB3x2_9ZBmGZIHaXM8cBLhGhFidwTLfVQDpY9JvFf3bxLQCGb42jCuQUVWL5Z0wJYSB8nmNNCrzLF_g0TIsIeZ7kfcn_AT963wLsAG3XRWvQo-FkNv07TXwa5J1ZUzAERCu2ZEIFBzN-sgTjemQkFtYc8/s320/talesshadowmen2001.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Ten years ago, Black Coat Press put out my very first published story in <i>Tales of the Shadowmen</i> <i>Vol. 10</i>. I've contributed stories to subsequent volumes as I've built up this writing "career" of mine, proud to be a part of the <i>Shadowmen</i> legacy. Now, the storied anthology series is coming to a close with it's twentieth and final volume, and I've returned after a couple years' absence with my story "Get Fantomas." I realized that I had two previous Fantomas stories from the 50's and the 60's in earlier volumes, so it made since to close the sequence out with a story set in the 70's, paying homage to the gritty crime and spy dramas of the decade.<br /></p><p>While it's sad to see the series go, <i>TOTS </i>is going out with a bang, with contributions from over 50 authors worldwide, including the likes of Stephen R. Bissette (!), Kim Newman (!!) and Neil Gaiman (!!!). I'll miss the series terribly, but will remain eternally grateful that I got to contribute to it over the course of a decade. All the thanks in the world go out to Black Coat Press Editor-in-Chief Jean-Marc Lofficier, who took a chance on me all those years ago and remains one of the best editors I've ever had the pleasure of working with.</p><p><a href="https://blackcoatpress.com/new-releases-the-last-tales-of-the-shadowmen-20-fin-de-siecle.html">Order your copy today!</a><br /></p>Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-81327745334803556942023-10-25T12:18:00.003-07:002023-10-25T12:34:24.002-07:00Interview: Cartoonist Kayfabe's Jim Rugg on True Crime Funnies<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="color: black;"> <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDxeWPpPao6LMC0SwI-cPFIQGK4rCRwj8GEct5qSjHMtRoH2iRfl5Tb1u9A7F8IOxEnqI3P28u4oL7op614NBd9CQW76S9QnLwNRj5VZ_2ffI_FtJRi7eaAPyrgBZbB9zchbDjHF_XbFmJeRL4DBg-3QnYVItm5o2zQRDSVUv3_V-VtnCDSXPEcmye65z/s716/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDxeWPpPao6LMC0SwI-cPFIQGK4rCRwj8GEct5qSjHMtRoH2iRfl5Tb1u9A7F8IOxEnqI3P28u4oL7op614NBd9CQW76S9QnLwNRj5VZ_2ffI_FtJRi7eaAPyrgBZbB9zchbDjHF_XbFmJeRL4DBg-3QnYVItm5o2zQRDSVUv3_V-VtnCDSXPEcmye65z/s320/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 14pt;"><span style="color: black;">Cartoonist Jim Rugg has had a busy couple of
years. In between running a successful Kickstarter campaign for the world’s
first black light comic (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Octobriana 1976</i>)
and producing the definitive history of Marvel’s Incredible Hulk (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hulk: Grand Design</i>), Rugg also hosts the
popular YouTube comics channel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cartoonist
Kayfabe</i>, where he and fellow cartoonist Ed Piskor have taken the comics
world by storm. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 14pt;"><span style="color: black;">Known for his innovative approach to comics
formalism, Rugg has become an expert in various mixed media techniques, making
his work stand out immediately on the racks. Projects such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Afrodisiac </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Street Angel</i> showed off Rugg’s chameleonic ability to work in
different styles, capturing different eras in comics history to fine-tuned
perfection. Now, Rugg has taken those skills and applied them to his most recent
project, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">True Crime Funnies</i>, an
anthology of stories ripped from real-life history. Whether it’s the tale of a
hard-nosed G-man lost in a sea of sex and drugs, the origins of professional
wrestling in the turn-of-the-century Klondike or the time Andy Warhol spent an
evening with the American Dream himself, Dusty Rhodes, Rugg captures each in a
mix of varying styles and techniques. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 14pt;"><span style="color: black;">Jim Rugg speaks with us today about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">True Crime Funnies</i>, the Cartoonist
Kayfabe phenomenon and the comics industry in general…</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fOOww368WYjOm8UhguegEQDipbioaFWxCzedoUdVrIFlgTp0e8IH6s105OUgx0i5lLXvPye5cosOSLpkiCIzvOSilZsBYWZnmiAh9H7OevPdmIprQoHuRlMATLAx6cM3zvllDH-6DNv77zmIvzLe5KNQ7j1xGb92GM-URvDA7Xd8EACjeV0-B9YDKhqS/s2138/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20-%20A%20Diet%20of%20Danger%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2138" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fOOww368WYjOm8UhguegEQDipbioaFWxCzedoUdVrIFlgTp0e8IH6s105OUgx0i5lLXvPye5cosOSLpkiCIzvOSilZsBYWZnmiAh9H7OevPdmIprQoHuRlMATLAx6cM3zvllDH-6DNv77zmIvzLe5KNQ7j1xGb92GM-URvDA7Xd8EACjeV0-B9YDKhqS/s320/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20-%20A%20Diet%20of%20Danger%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" width="210" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">How did </span></i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">True Crime Funnies<i> </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">come about? What
inspired you to put out an anthology of crime stories?</span></i><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: I made the stories based on ideas I
wanted to see as comics. Then when the stories were done, I realized that they
would fit in a comic book so I put together a comic book. The stories are all
non-fiction. And I was looking at a lot of old crime comics from the Golden
Age. A lot of those stories are based on or inspired by true events. So that
was an influence on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">True Crime Funnies</i>’
title. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">What was
it about the three stories in </span></i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">True Crime Funnies</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> that made you want to embark on the journey of adapting
them into comics? </span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: I think I heard some of George White’s
story on a podcast and it caught my attention. When I began doing research, it
felt like it would make a good comic or graphic novel. I plan to do more comics
about White’s life and career. He’s quite a character. Some of what I like
about his story is that it’s true crime. I mentioned the Golden Age crime
comics. I like those old crime comics, and some new crime comics too…so I
thought I would make short comic and see how it went. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The other two stories in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">True Crime Funnies</i> are based on professional wrestling. I’m a fan
of professional wrestling. I read a lot of wrestling biographies and listen to
podcasts about wrestling. When I learned about these stories, I thought that
both would work well as comics. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">I’m also
curious about your choice of color vs. black and white… What was the thought process
behind going full color with “A Diet of DANGER,” and black and white for “Gold”
and “Andy Warhol and Dusty Rhodes: The Dream Team”?</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: There are a couple of reasons for
coloring “A Diet of DANGER”. One is that it is an homage to old crime comics
and most of those were classic comic book color on newsprint, which is a
palette I love. There are narrative reasons for color as well, although those
aren’t obvious in this first story. If I continue White’s story, the color will
become more important in some of the future events.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">For “Andy Warhol and Dusty Rhodes: The Dream
Team”, I pictured the Apter mags. I have a bunch of wrestling magazines from
the 70s and 80s. This story is set in late 70s so I tried to channel the
black-and-white style of those old magazines. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">“Gold” is set in 1901. It just seemed right to
make it black-and-white. The references I found for that story were all black
and white, like old newspapers and photos from the Klondike gold rush.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaQ_koaTreayXhi4DbVLU6OwmyDM6eZwNb8E9waXlYFUNYJlAZiopSbbQWwoYUIjF2TF5bcEys7I5fIOIuagNMPF-dq_VDC27ZnZ9DOeDbUHdWgMl07irOllc4HK1RwgeJYgvdREXA1Ri_wb8TcKvmj4u4nrFNtD8ZqmIEqxXdDS1H9tqCa4CnWeGFuMk/s2096/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20-%20Gold%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2096" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaQ_koaTreayXhi4DbVLU6OwmyDM6eZwNb8E9waXlYFUNYJlAZiopSbbQWwoYUIjF2TF5bcEys7I5fIOIuagNMPF-dq_VDC27ZnZ9DOeDbUHdWgMl07irOllc4HK1RwgeJYgvdREXA1Ri_wb8TcKvmj4u4nrFNtD8ZqmIEqxXdDS1H9tqCa4CnWeGFuMk/s320/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20-%20Gold%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div><p><span style="color: black;"> </span></p><p><span style="color: black;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Do you
have any plans to continue with comics in this vein? Any more anthologies like
this to come, true crime or otherwise?</span></i></p><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: Yes. I plan to make more comic books.
As an independent creator, that’s a format I like for many reasons. Comic books
are what made me want to be a cartoonist. It’s also a format that is relatively
inexpensive to self-publish and I like self-publishing. So hopefully there will
be more comic books in my future. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Having
worked with publishers big and small, what’s the benefit of self-publishing as
opposed to working with a publisher?</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: The benefit to self-publishing is that
I control everything from creative to capital. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Cartoonist Kayfabe<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> has been such a sensation, to the point where books that you and
co-host Ed Piskor highlight usually sell out instantly… What’s it been like to
see the channel grow into what it’s become? Did you have any idea it would be
so popular?</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: It’s been awesome to see the channel
grow. We just returned from HeroesCon in Charlotte and we heard from so many
people about new artists and new books they’ve found from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cartoonist Kayfabe</i>. We also heard from a lot of people who started
making comics or started drawing again because of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cartoonist Kayfabe</i>. There are several groups of people who have
gotten together through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cartoonist Kayfabe</i>
and share their comics making with each other – which is something Ed, Tom
(Scioli) and I used to do when we first met. So a lot of great things have come
out of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cartoonist Kayfabe</i>. I didn’t
anticipate those kinds of things, but it feels so good to think that we’ve
turned people onto some good comics that they didn’t know about or that people
have found a supportive creative community. It also makes me happy that we’ve
become popular by promoting stuff we like rather than focusing on the negative.
I think that a lot of people respond to that tone. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mw5NVT_HlNc7oeeI-PCXEOiNxSgGB79mPlYjiXEL_xFw_EAmDp5vOJ28Zgs_TDKN75t0q9qo0cLGlkhonIXcLm9pou__ww82HOA98BOuNgdEpdj_qaGPc27euO-wV97aZURDQ8vpt5DEHtUXFB_puYD9VLFBRWbuQXKVLr3np1A2Wp7NNRFxs6NXomUh/s2113/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20-%20Andy%20Warhol%20and%20Dusty%20Rhodes%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="1401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mw5NVT_HlNc7oeeI-PCXEOiNxSgGB79mPlYjiXEL_xFw_EAmDp5vOJ28Zgs_TDKN75t0q9qo0cLGlkhonIXcLm9pou__ww82HOA98BOuNgdEpdj_qaGPc27euO-wV97aZURDQ8vpt5DEHtUXFB_puYD9VLFBRWbuQXKVLr3np1A2Wp7NNRFxs6NXomUh/s320/True%20Crime%20Funnies%20-%20Andy%20Warhol%20and%20Dusty%20Rhodes%20by%20Jim%20Rugg.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black;"> </span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Having
documented a wide swath of comics history through </span></i><span style="color: black;">Cartoonist Kayfabe<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,
what do you make of the industry now? Where do you see comics headed in the
future?</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: I think comics as an art form is better
than ever. We have access to virtually the entire history of comics from all
over the world. If you’re old enough to remember how hard it was to track down
a specific back issue or an out of print book, you can understand how great our
access is today. That means that a person who wants to make comics can study
the masters of comics. The amount of information available about how to make
comics is huge. So I see more and more exciting comics coming from new
creators. That’s been very exciting as a fan. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The comics business is harder for me to assess.
There is a lot of bad business and players in comics. It is an
entertainment/commercial business; that means fierce competition and
exploitation of talent. That said, we have a wealth of tools to make, sell, distribute,
and promote comics. Where are they headed? Probably more readers, more comics
of all sizes and styles for and by everyone. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">What’s
next for you? Any new comics projects you can talk about?</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">JIM RUGG: True Crime Funnies just debuted. It’s
available from me: </span><a href="https://www.jimrugg.com/shop"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.jimrugg.com/shop</span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">People can follow me @jimruggart on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jimruggart/" target="_blank">IG</a> and
<a href="https://twitter.com/jimruggart" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">I have a Patreon where I post new comics and
other comics-related stuff: </span><a href="https://www.patreon.com/jimrugg"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.patreon.com/jimrugg</span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">And we post new Cartoonist Kayfabe videos every
day on YouTube: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/cartoonistkayfabe"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.youtube.com/cartoonistkayfabe</span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;">Many thanks to Jim Rugg for sitting down for this interview<i>. </i>Rugg will be hosting a sale at <a href="http://jimrugg.com">jimrugg.com</a> on October 26th.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 14.0pt; margin: 14pt 0in 10pt;"><br /></p>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-33954962687645907892020-05-25T09:50:00.000-07:002020-05-26T11:30:20.514-07:00AFTER THE FALL Available NOW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWswVdIJlnBOeR3Cq1ZaDvzipLTsUU0PDVN0mB_Q4O_DkYb1jJ7kzshb5MPSiNKeh_atZkMhIonyLlEXbkUbo6rh40qCL9oogwKw3cWuYKIPEIzeu-O_-FSf8XJKGwPznYNjl5MGw9t8V/s1600/AfterTheFall_Social_GRID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWswVdIJlnBOeR3Cq1ZaDvzipLTsUU0PDVN0mB_Q4O_DkYb1jJ7kzshb5MPSiNKeh_atZkMhIonyLlEXbkUbo6rh40qCL9oogwKw3cWuYKIPEIzeu-O_-FSf8XJKGwPznYNjl5MGw9t8V/s320/AfterTheFall_Social_GRID.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Over the last half-decade, I've been very fortunate to be included in several cool anthologies... but I've got to say, this one just might be the coolest. The very first publishing effort from Mirrorbox Films, <i>After the Fall</i> contains thirty short stories, comics and even a poem or two, all devoted to post-apocalyptic, end-of-the-world scenarios. Ironically, this anthology had been well in the works before our current world situation, but I think you will unironically be able to enjoy all the tales contained therein. My story this outing is entitled "Blood on the Sand, Coal for the Fire," a heartwarming tale<br />
involving skyships, mutant cannibal gladiators and fire-breathing whales.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088VR6L87/" target="_blank">Make sure to order your copy today!</a><br />
<br />
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-15122837635776242802019-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:002019-12-09T14:32:26.362-08:00Tales of the Shadowmen Vol. 16: Voir Dire AVAILABLE NOW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQbT_hbeAoMUvLAD4Yry0xv9HngZGb4RNmRBtABg2AkBR3k48eFbDNQ3c76NjgMc2VqcfpkFnqEeh_XzMxgzfjL8bUQ1b3zIEXFg8Y0I3rWoH5UIWdCTNSeVeZkqkULi-ftFCvc7B59Ns/s1600/shadowmen+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQbT_hbeAoMUvLAD4Yry0xv9HngZGb4RNmRBtABg2AkBR3k48eFbDNQ3c76NjgMc2VqcfpkFnqEeh_XzMxgzfjL8bUQ1b3zIEXFg8Y0I3rWoH5UIWdCTNSeVeZkqkULi-ftFCvc7B59Ns/s320/shadowmen+16.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
It's December, so you know what that means... the sixteenth volume of <i>Tales of the Shadowmen</i>! I took last year off, but have returned this year for yet another volume of the only ongoing anthology series devoted to international heroes and villains. For this volume, I've taken two characters I've always had a fondness for--Chester Himes' indelible Harlem detectives, Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson--and pitted them against the arch-villain of all arch-villains, Fantomas. Of course, it wouldn't be a true <i>Shadowmen</i> tale if a few other characters didn't show up along the way... but you'll have to read the story yourself to find out who! <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blackcoatpress.com/new-releases-tales-of-the-shadowmen-16-voir-dire.html" target="_blank">Order your copy today!</a><br />
<br />
<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-57186564701275455022019-03-19T19:34:00.000-07:002019-03-19T19:34:10.117-07:00Longbox Memories: Fables (1988)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH0S2PN48pCWpf-pAfNPaSfJ8eD6Kv7YDM3gNLtemRItDyGDQgXSgud0UELfowqqv9i2TkV_LTFW4Q8uOJpSjgcQfKWB4DixR7hRfUy6wVMo2FwSx9m5PBjqTBuYkiVb_gqY1tYenGb4t/s1600/fables+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH0S2PN48pCWpf-pAfNPaSfJ8eD6Kv7YDM3gNLtemRItDyGDQgXSgud0UELfowqqv9i2TkV_LTFW4Q8uOJpSjgcQfKWB4DixR7hRfUy6wVMo2FwSx9m5PBjqTBuYkiVb_gqY1tYenGb4t/s200/fables+1.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY02F6MGAkNWwZpScrUzI1r4O6X5vt6dNMfj6E0y6TiGWlQtQ7WM1nWCS-H3GHvut_37MH94hEQcgkoyocRkIN4ryVBphGzODPTff6IZbU3na5B8u96ddLorCLFt1dG7zp36xtz0WKwJ3F/s1600/fables+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY02F6MGAkNWwZpScrUzI1r4O6X5vt6dNMfj6E0y6TiGWlQtQ7WM1nWCS-H3GHvut_37MH94hEQcgkoyocRkIN4ryVBphGzODPTff6IZbU3na5B8u96ddLorCLFt1dG7zp36xtz0WKwJ3F/s200/fables+2.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiJPxpb4G1q9vALmmFjttBV5rvdkbECyM_YcqwqLf5AYTfnyFvT04gr5sfRz2WMHikJmqjUcXGmiBV2ggefMSxJl1KfLjR1ZLft3hrlsqxI8w5I6_tTBn1OTzSt6GD7_IMa1w6OOzfCyy/s1600/fables+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiJPxpb4G1q9vALmmFjttBV5rvdkbECyM_YcqwqLf5AYTfnyFvT04gr5sfRz2WMHikJmqjUcXGmiBV2ggefMSxJl1KfLjR1ZLft3hrlsqxI8w5I6_tTBn1OTzSt6GD7_IMa1w6OOzfCyy/s200/fables+3.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Probably
not the </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fables <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you
were thinking of…</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In the summer of 1988, then DC editor Mike Gold
proposed a crossover to fellow editor Denny O’Neil between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Arrow</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Question</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Detective Comics</i>. It was a
natural fit… in addition to being the editor of the Batbooks, O’Neil also wrote
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Question</i> for Gold, and of course
in the seventies had pretty much defined what Batman and Green Arrow would be
for the rest of those characters’ respective lifetimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus was born the three-part crossover
“Fables,” which ran in the very first annuals published for each respective
title, all written solely by O’Neil. Taking inspiration from Dashiell Hammett’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dain Curse</i>, O’Neil set out to
fashion three standalone stories that ultimately came together to form a larger
narrative with the three characters he was most closely associated with, during
what was perhaps the most exciting decade in DC Comics’ near-century of
existence. </span>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> These are the comics that have been forgotten by
time, relegated to fifty-cent graveyards in musty stores that sadly grow more
increasingly rare by the day. Welcome to Longbox Memories.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The story begins in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Detective Comics</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Annual</i>
#1 with a flashback to Manchuria circa 1895. A Japanese officer and Taoist monk
face off against each other. The officer has promised the monk that if he can
best him in single combat, the Japanese forces will let him live. Growing
impatient, one of the soldiers shoots the monk in the back. Ashamed, the
officer decides to take the monk’s place and becomes the O-Sensei, devoting his
life to peace and nonviolence thereafter. Flash-forward nearly a century later
to 1988, and the monk is still alive. He requests that his disciple Lady Shiva
take him to America and recruit three warriors to help him on some mysterious
quest. Their first stop takes them to Gotham City, where Shiva enlists the aid
of a certain caped crusader, who already has his hands full dealing with a plot
that involves the League of Assassins, Talia al Ghul and the Penguin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It’s an odd start to an odd crossover, as the
Penguin/Talia business has nothing to do with the overarching story of the O-Sensei,
whose sole act in the Batman portion of the story is to… deliver a fable to the
title character that doesn’t do much other than reconfirm that Batman is sad. It’s
not exactly the height of drama, and the issue is not helped by its main
story--the plot of which sees Talia return to her beloved’s life, enlisting his
aid once a rogue League of Assassins agent sells the Penguin a chemical
compound that only kills women and children. As far as villainous plots go,
it’s a pretty lame, threadbare idea that even the ’66 Batman show would have
had trouble parodying, the climax of which sees Batman take on a pair of
Peguin’s oversized pet birds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The saving grace of the issue are the appearances of
Shiva and the O-Sensei, characters O’Neil created in the seventies in the
short-lived <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Richard Dragon, Kung Fu
Fighter</i> comic series (which itself was an adaptation of a novel that O’Neil
had co-written previously). This is the story that brought Shiva into Batman’s
world, and the character would continue to show up frequently in the Bat-books
over the next decade and change--even siring a member of the extended
Bat-family in the process in Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl of the double-aughts. Shiva
is one of O’Neil’s best creations, a character who you never know what she’s
going to do next, as she only follows her own whims at any given moment.
Another bonus is the art, ably handled by the team of Klaus Jansen and Tony
DeZuniga, both of whom were already well-established in comics by that point.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The story picks up again in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Arrow Annual </i>#1, where Shiva and the O-Sensei travel to
Seattle and seek out the Emerald Archer. Wait, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seattle</i>… not Star City? Green Arrow had been going through quite
the reinvention in the late eighties thanks to writer/artist Mike Grell’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Longbow Hunters</i>. Much like Frank Miller
did with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Returns</i> and
John Byrne with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Man of Steel</i>,
Mike Grell refashioned Oliver Queen into a grim urban avenger. Ollie lost his
Errol Flynn-esque duds, traded his trick arrows in for regular old bladed ones
and wasn o longer opposed to using lethal force when he had to. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Longbow Hunters</i> led to a new ongoing
Green Arrow series written by Grell that took the character further and further
from his superheroic roots, planting him from DC’s fictional Star City to the
real world of Seattle to tackle real-world criminals as opposed to super-villains
with a gimmick. O’Neil picks up from Grell’s lead for this first annual of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Arrow </i>ongoing series, although the
Oliver Queen here doesn’t seem all that different from the one he was writing
in the seventies--one gets the sense that O’Neil wasn’t comfortable with Ollie’s
newfound “take no prisoners” attitude. The main story sees a copycat archer staging
murders to look like Green Arrow is responsible, but thankfully, the O-Sensei
arrives to provide yet another parable which proves to be exactly the thing
Ollie needs to hear to overcome his demons and defeat his new foe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The main story once again has nothing to do with the
overarching plot, but is at least more interesting. The rival archer is little
more than a caricature, but his final showdown with Ollie is philosophically
perfect in the way O’Neil typically excelled at. Other nice moments are
peppered throughout--Shiva continues to be a source of infinite story
possibilities, as this issue sees her annihilating a group of would-be
attackers, letting only one live with a kiss because he managed to draw blood
on her forehead. This issue is also the first meeting of Black Canary/Dinah
Lance and Lady Shiva, who would go on to have quite the rivalry/partnership in
later series, with Shiva even taking Dinah’s place as the White Canary in one
memorable storyline. O’Neil also handles the relationship between Dinah and
Ollie rather well, which is fitting, as it was he who put them together in the
first place. Their banter in this issue make them feel like a real couple who
have been together for a long-time (it’s worth noting that O’Neil’s wife
Marifran is mentioned in a “Special Thanks” column in the credits). The artwork
from Tom Artis and Tim Dzon is another good showing, far more cartoony and exaggerated
than what was popular at the time but handling action and character both in
great detail.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> And that brings us to the final chapter in this
mini-crossover, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Question Annual</i>
#1, the best of the three mainly because it’s the one where we finally discover
just what the hell Shiva and the O-Sensei are up to. It turns out that the
O-Sensei knows his time is drawing to a close, and wishes to be taken back to
Japan and buried alongside the wife he left behind all those many decades ago. The
only trouble is that his former wife’s father had ties to the Yakuza, and by
leaving her behind, the O-Sensei has been banned from returning home by the
entire family--which is why he enlists the help of Batman, Green Arrow and the
Question (who somehow grew a mullet between here and his previous appearance in
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Detective Comics </i>annual). Or, at
least, Green Arrow and the Question--Batman sits the actual trip to Japan out
at the last minute, with the rather lame excuse of not wishing to rain on the
Question’s parade by being the better version of him, or something like that. I
get that bringing all three characters together in a compelling way is a
storytelling challenge, but having Batman drop out in such an abrupt way is a
cop out, and belittles the whole point of having a crossover between all these
titles in the first place. </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Other than that, this is easily the best issue of
the crossover, and one gets the sense that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Question </i>was where O’Neil’s heart was at the time. Created by Steve Ditko
in the sixties for Charlton Comics as a crusading, Objectivist hero, O’Neil
refashioned the character into a Zen martial arts philosopher who was
constantly struggling against his worse impulses, and not always winning the
battle. The ongoing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Question</i> series
was O’Neil’s most ambitious, literary work in the comic field, a place where
the long-tenured writer was finally able to cut loose and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tell the types of stories he always wanted to
tell, unencumbered by content restrictions or jokers in colorful get-ups on
every other page. Granted, when read today, it feels like an older creator who
was used to writing all-ages superhero comics trying his best to write a “mature
readers” book and unable to escape his earlier style, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Question </i>remains a monumental work in the DC cannon, despite its
occasional hiccups. A big part of the run’s success was the art team of Denys
Cowan and Rick Magyar, who drew most of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Question</i> and provide the sequentials here, as well. Their artwork is
suitably gorgeous, with particular care to the many scenes of martial arts
fight sequences, including a memorable flashback where the O-Sensei slices up
his father-in-law’s lackeys in a beautiful display of choreographed violence.
Batman’s relatively short panel-time is doubly disappointing after seeing him
drawn by Cowan, but the artist would go on to do more than one memorable Batman
tale, which helps alleviate the sting a bit.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It ends with a whimper as opposed to a bang, as the
O-Sensei is washed overboard during a storm during their trip overseas, never to be laid to rest with his wife in his homelands. Distraught at his failure to save the old man, the Question insists that
they continue on with their journey to Japan, eventually discovering that his
wife never made it back to her home country either, her remains also lost at
sea during a violent storm… meaning that the trio hadn’t failed in their task,
after all, and leading the Question to reminisce that perhaps “there are no
failures.” An odd ending to an odd crossover, but definitely worth the three
dollars it cost from the dollar comics bin at my local bookstore.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGHuH0xNbMLrw5qmf0NNZCQmIjBVg9iX8a1BYJreS-B0vBbXgDFIghi0MJyYUCEh6XCHx6BaaV9HzcFVUjuTrak6Mk1k4JJh1dgVJBbbp8PKvKWI48qbgH9rPCVAs_DTm9Af5mF6H4wUw/s1600/fables+sienkiewicz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1207" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGHuH0xNbMLrw5qmf0NNZCQmIjBVg9iX8a1BYJreS-B0vBbXgDFIghi0MJyYUCEh6XCHx6BaaV9HzcFVUjuTrak6Mk1k4JJh1dgVJBbbp8PKvKWI48qbgH9rPCVAs_DTm9Af5mF6H4wUw/s320/fables+sienkiewicz.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-9732763303110312072019-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:002019-01-26T05:00:09.947-08:00Batman: The Animated Series Ranked, Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZngeWCBSjJQfdZIMeDrb5VDCShE3k6971FMK5X5sS8_DRp61TYUQglB3YGhwTFgCMxTx1UMI3MCBYvhbGi60mXcK5zXcxfXqEnmt7DWduP26rp_5OKyrODSnJRFU2fDsGsagO5HtoEw3n/s1600/lightning-strikes-batman-the-animated-series-7021143-450-257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="450" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZngeWCBSjJQfdZIMeDrb5VDCShE3k6971FMK5X5sS8_DRp61TYUQglB3YGhwTFgCMxTx1UMI3MCBYvhbGi60mXcK5zXcxfXqEnmt7DWduP26rp_5OKyrODSnJRFU2fDsGsagO5HtoEw3n/s320/lightning-strikes-batman-the-animated-series-7021143-450-257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>25-1...</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">25. House & Garden</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As anyone familiar with writing/storytelling knows,
the thing that separates the good stories from the bad largely depends on
character wants. The more your character wants something, the better your story
is going to turn out. And if that want is tied into something universal and
relatable, then the audience will respond just as deeply. Such is the case with
“House & Garden,” a Poison Ivy-centric episode in which the Bat-villain has
seemingly reformed and married a college professor, living in domestic bliss
with him and his two sons. Of course, all is not quite as ordinary as it seems
on the surface, and the ending delves into some freaky, sci-fi <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Body Snatchers</i> territory when it’s
revealed what Poison Ivy’s really been up to. But what makes the episode
special is the central “want” of Ivy herself--she’s not out to terrorize the city
or anything like that, but legitimately wants a family of her own, and sets
about getting one in the only way she knows how.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">24. Trial</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode tackles some of the uneasy questions
Batman’s night-time activities create, all voiced by new Gotham City D.A. Janet
Van Dorn. Van Dorn is not keen on the idea of an independent vigilante taking
the law into their own hands, and sees Batman as responsible for drawing crazed
personalities like the Joker and the Mad Hatter to the city itself. Ironic,
then, that Van Dorn and Batman are soon captured and held hostage within Arkham
Asylum, and the new D.A. finds herself in the unenviable position of defending
Batman in a mock trial held by his greatest villains. It’s a clever conceit,
and--to the show’s credit--doesn’t shy away from asking difficult questions
about the more negative aspects of Batman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modus
operandi</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">23. Appointment in Crime Alley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Comic book writer Denny O’Neil created Leslie
Thompkins in an attempt to widen out Batman’s worldview, wishing to tell a
story that didn’t have Batman save the day by punching out criminals. The
character has since gone on to become a fixture in the Bat-mythos, and made her
first appearance outside of a comic book with this episode. Batman has a very
important appointment to keep with Leslie, but keeps being interrupted by a
chaotic night in Gotham City. It all culminates with a plot to blow up Crime
Alley by corrupt businessman Roland Daggett as a part of urban redevelopment,
with Leslie getting drawn into the conflict as a bystander. The overall plot
tying everything together feels a bit like a cheap way to tie everything
together in the end, but the episode still works as a testament to the Leslie
Thompkins character and the alternate viewpoint she brings to Batman’s world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">22. Second Chance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode is an excellent example of how the
show’s creators could utilize the singular world they set up around their title
character to maximum effect. Two-Face is set to have radical plastic surgery to
fix his scars, but someone plots to stop it before it begins, leading Batman to
tear a swath across Gotham City’s underworld and uncover which of Two-Face’s
many enemies could be responsible for the sabotage. Characters like Rupert
Thorne and the Penguin weave in and out of the story, elements the show could
draw upon to help sell the idea that this was a living, breathing world all its
own. And the ultimate twist of who’s responsible for stopping Two-Face’s
surgery is the type of beautiful character reveal the show excelled at when it
was firing on all cylinders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">21. Read My Lips</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the better Bat-villains to come along in the
modern age was the Ventriloquist, a split personality who manifests his darker
half via his dummy, Scarface. This episode mines all the possibilities that
this twisted character provides, playing like a cross between old hardboiled
pulp paperbacks and that one episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alfred
Hitchcock Presents</i> that featured a killer puppet. George Dzundza gives a
brilliant dual performance as both the Ventriloquist and Scarface, and the
episode has a nice, jazzy score to go along with the film noir visuals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">20. Almost Got ’Im</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Almost Got ’Im” is another classic episode, a Paul
Dini-pinned tale that features five of Batman’s major rogues gathering together
for a poker game and each trading stories of the times where they came closest
to defeating Batman once and for all. Each little vignette is wafer-thin on
their own, but put together in an “omnibus” of sorts makes for a an episode
that is a delight to watch, and the small sight gags the animators work in for
each character makes it even better on rewatch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">19. Mad Love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Harley Quinn was unquestionably the most ingenious
addition provided to the Batman world via the animated series, so the show’s
creators had a mighty task ahead of them when it came time to finally unveil
her origin story. Originally told as a prestige format comic book by Paul Dini
and Bruce Timm, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mad Love </i>was later
adapted into an episode when the show was retooled as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Batman Adventures</i>. Casting Harley Quinn as the former
psychiatrist at Arkham assigned to the Joker who eventually fell in love with
her patient was a rare stroke of genius--the perfect twisted origin that kept
Harley in line with Batman’s psychologically-damaged rogues but still kept true
to an original character that was unlike any other in Batman’s world, or even
mainstream superhero comics at the time. Originally able to loosen their belts
with a format that allowed the story to be told with more mature themes, what’s
most surprising about the adaptation is how much of that survived the
translation from comics to animation--the animated version pulls no punches in
portraying the Joker’s abusive relationship to Harley for what it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">18. Mad as a Hatter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the reasons <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Animated Series</i> was so resonant as a whole was in how it
took existing villains and refashioned them into characters with
clearly-defined motivations. It’s not surprising, since Batman’s origin and
motivation was what separated him instantly from other heroes of the day like
the Shadow or Doc Savage. Taking an otherwise one-trick character like the Mad
Hatter and giving him a backstory of social awkwardness and unrequited love is
oddly fitting, as it is entirely in keeping with the character’s central gimmick
of using mind control to get what he wants. The Hatter’s a creep, for sure, but
a sad, pitiable creep, and Roddy McDowell’s masterful performance is at turns
equally unsettling and heartbreaking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">17. Harlequinade</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Joker acquires an atomic bomb and holds Gotham
City to ransom, and the only way Batman and the police can track him down is to
free an incarcerated Harley Quinn and persuade her to turn on her beloved Mr.
J. Thus begins a madcap comedy of errors, as Batman works together uneasily
with Harley to find the Joker and stop him before he blows Gotham off the map.
The Batman/Harley pairing is a fertile ground for some Odd Couple-styled humor,
including a memorable jaunt through an underground speakeasy where Harley saves
her and Batman’s skins by performing a musical number. It concludes in a
fantastic set-piece involving the Joker and a prop-driven aircraft, and a
pretty great final scene where it initially appears Harley is ready to break
off her relationship with the Joker by finishing him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">16. Legends of the Dark Knight</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is a fun episode, especially for comic fans and
historians of Batman’s deep and storied legacy. The set-up couldn’t be more
simple: a group of kids are walking the streets of Gotham one evening, and the
conversation eventually turns to the Batman. Each kid claims to know what the
hero is really like, and proceeds to regale the others with differing visions
of the Dark Knight, and that’s where the really fun stuff begins--each kid’s
story is animated in the style of a famous Batman artist, so we get an
anthology consisting of the do-gooder Dick Sprang Batman of the 40’s and 50’s
side-by-side with a truncated adaptation of Frank Miller’s seminal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark Knight Returns</i> (confession time: I
prefer this short segment to the later, two-part animated film adaptation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DKR</i>). The ending is a bit of a let-down,
as the real Batman shows up to save the kids from… Firefly, and the kids get to
see that he’s a little bit like their own versions. But weak ending or no, the
individual segments capture their respective artist’s styles to
near-perfection, and it’s hard to see Batman fans of all eras not getting a
kick out of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">15. The Ultimate Thrill</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Out of all the characters created for the animated
series, Roxy Rocket not catching on with the wider public bums me out the most.
I suppose she is a character that doesn’t fit in with the modern Nolan/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arkham</i> games aesthetic that drives much
of the Bat-media we get today, but Roxy is a fun character that could
absolutely carry a series of her own. A former stuntwoman who found the
controlled thrills of movie sets limiting, she got hold of a flying rocket and
started getting her kicks by staging daring robberies. It’s a relentlessly fun
episode packed with exciting set-pieces and wickedly-clever dialogue, including
some pretty obvious sexual innuendos that I’m surprised the animators got away
with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">14. The Laughing Fish</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two famous Joker stories provide the basis for this
episode, the titular “Laughing Fish” and “The Joker’s Five Way Revenge.” After
developing a new compound that allows him to induce Joker smiles onto fish, the
Joker is incensed when copyright and patent offices refuse to let him lay legal
claim to his new product, and seeks to enact his revenge on all of them. It’s
an odd set-up storyline to be sure, feeling more like a scheme Caesar Romero
would have tired pulling off in the sixties, but the horror-tinged atmosphere
permeating the whole show gives the episode an undeniable creepiness, and the
final standoff between the Joker and Batman is one of the series’ finest
moments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">13. Harley & Ivy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t know what the initial inspiration for
teaming Bat-villains Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy was, but whatever led to their
pairing resulted in a long-lasting partnership that has ingrained itself into not
just the Bat-mythos, but the wider DC Universe as a whole. It all starts here,
as a down-on-her-luck Harley happens to bump into Poison Ivy during a robbery,
and the two decide they have a better chance at making it out together rather
than apart. The two have an instant chemistry, with Harley’s child-like
goofiness playing off of Ivy’s cool, sultry nature. The jokes are layered
enough to land with kids and adults alike, and performers Arleen Sorkin and
Diane Pershing never sounded better in their respective roles as Harley and
Ivy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">12. Mudslide</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t know what it is about the character, but the
villain Clayface always seems to bring out the best in the show’s creators
whenever he turns up. This time, the former Hollywood star-turned-psychotic
mudman has seemingly found a permanent cure for his condition, which is growing
increasingly unstable by the day. Clayface/Matt Hagen is helped in this cause
by Stella, a former medical advisor he knew from his film days who’s developed
a way for him to return to normal. It’s a humanistic portrayal of a very
complicated relationship, as Stella’s feelings for Hagen are clearly not
returned, and Clayface is only giving her the time of day to receive the
treatment that will put him back together again. It all culminates in a tragic
showdown with Batman, with one especially memorable moment of Clayface
absorbing Batman into himself in an attempt to suffocate him, before the
villain takes a tumble into a Cliffside ocean and dissolves into a watery
grave… Until the writers decided to bring him back, of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">11. You Scratch My Back</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The now-grown, be-mulleted Dick Grayson had already
made a brief appearance in the previous episode “Sins of the Father,” but makes
his full debut as Nightwing in this action-packed, full-throttle episode. With
his relationship to the Bat-family as frosty as ever, Nightwing gets mixed up
with Catwoman while investigating a smuggling operation. Bringing Nightwing
into the show’s continuity was incredibly exciting at the time, since the
character has always been beloved as the cooler older brother of the DC
universe. Nightwing’s uneasy alliance and flirtacious banter with Catwoman
provides ample story and character opportunities, and the animation and
choreography of the various action set-pieces never looked better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10. Beware the Gray Ghost</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even if this episode didn’t feature Adam West in the
perfect guest role, this would still contain the raw ingredients for a classic
episode. We get our first looks at young Bruce Wayne, inches from the television
as he watches his favorite TV show, chronicling a Shadow-esque hero called the
Gray Ghost, who it turns out had quite the influence on Batman, himself. All
the meta-references inform the episode before you even get to the ultimate
meta-reference of them all, having West voice the actor who played the Gray
Ghost, was subsequently typecast and has trouble getting work in the present
day. The reveal of the villain’s motivations is the only weak spot, but his
plan provides the two heroes with enough of an excuse to team-up and play
against each other (also, small side-note: the episode makes you wonder if
Batman truly understands the concept of acting as make-believe, as he keeps
badgering an older actor who only played a superhero on TV to put on a cape and
help him with the case in the very real present).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">9. On Leather Wings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The very first episode is still one of the absolute
best, as it lays down the framework and sets the tone for what is still the ideal translation of the Batman character into any medium. The script is a bit
simple compared to the emotional and thematic highs the show would later reach,
but provides all the elements that would go on to define what the series’
interpretation was all about: the dark, pulpy tone that was somewhere between
film noir and classic horror, tragic villains who were motivated by more than
just doing evil for evil’s sake and Batman’s detective-work being highlighted
just as much as his physical prowess. Man-Bat may have been a curious choice to
the uninitiated for the series’ debut villain, but he winds up being the best
possible choice in allowing the show to plant its flag in the ground in stating
what the show was going to be, and the climax of Batman and the Man-Bat
sweeping over the beautifully-painted Gotham cityscapes remains breathtaking to
this day--all resulting in an episode that you just want to watch over and over
again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8. P.O.V.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was pretty rare for a cartoon to take inspiration
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rashomon</i>, but that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS </i>for you: a show that routinely
traded in small, intimate crime stories as much as it did in world-threatening
stakes. Batman exists only on the periphery in this one, as three cops are
called in to testify and recount their version of events of a sting gone wrong.
The differing interpretations of the event and Batman himself give an alternate
viewpoint of this world and the Dark Knight who protects it, and also provide
definition for the three cops; chief amongst them Officer Montoya, another
jewel that the series gifted to the larger Bat-universe, and a character who
has remained an important fixture in the DCU ever since.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7. Showdown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the very best <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman</i> episodes has very little Batman in it, as this episode is
mostly a flashback to years past. The benefit of a character like Ra’s al Ghul
is that his elongated life-span allows for stories like this, where the action
is moved to the American West of the 1880’s and Ra’s is plotting a takeover of
the U.S. government with a high-powered zeppelin warship. The only thing
standing in his way? A certain scarred bounty hunter with a penchant for
one-liners. He wouldn’t be the first hero you’d expect to guest star on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i>, but Jonah Hex fits into the
format of the show like a well-worn jacket, and considering this episode was
penned by long-time <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hex</i> scribe Joe
Lansdale, nearly every line of dialogue that comes out of his scarred mouth is
solid gold. Incredible voice actors (the likes of Malcolm McDowell, Elizabeth
Montgomery and William McKinney) add to the lively steampunk western vibe, and the
last minute reveal in the present day is the cherry on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6. Growing Pains</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many have decried the revamped <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Batman Adventures</i> for the sometimes drastic redesigns and the
inclusion of a younger Robin, proclaiming it a “kiddie-fied” version of the
original animated series, but the opposite could not be more true--case in
point, this episode, where the younger Robin Tim Drake befriends an orphaned
girl on the run from someone, with no memory of who she is or where she came
from. It’s the type of story that could only have worked with this version of
Robin, and the final twist of who the girl actually is by turns equally clever
and heartbreaking. It culminates in a downer climax that’s as sophisticated as
anything to be found in the original run of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i>,
in which Robin learns that not every story gets a happy ending.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5. Perchance to Dream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Mad Hatter traps Batman in his latest mind
control device, this one providing its user with his or her deepest desire. In
Batman’s case, it’s a world where his parents were never killed, where he’s a
carefree playboy engaged to be married to Selina Kyle. Bruce Wayne refuses to
accept it, however, realizing something is amiss once he sees someone else
posing as Batman in this manufactured dream-world. It’s one of the oldest
questions in philosophy, whether or not you could be happy once discovering
everything around you is a lie, and for the pragmatic Batman, there’s only one
choice--a climactic final confrontation between Wayne and the Hatter that ends
with a quite-literal leap of faith, which could alternately be read as a kind
of suicide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4. The Demon’s Quest Parts 1&2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fate of the world was something that was never
really in play in the largely Gotham-bound original animated series, which made
its appearance in this epic two-parter all the more special. Ra’s al Ghul makes
his full debut here after being teased in “Off-Balance,” the first part of
which is almost a line-by-line adaptation of his first appearance in the
comics. The Demon’s Head’s first encounter with Batman is in the Batcave, being
one of the few villains to have correctly deduced his civilian identity. He
appears at first to be on Batman’s side, as both their “children” (Robin and
Ra’s’ daughter, Talia) have been kidnapped. It’s all a ruse, of course, and
Batman soon finds himself running afoul of Ra’s ultimate plan to cleanse the
world of its human population and restore to it to its former green, pristine
state. It’s a globe-trotting, James Bondian episode that recalls everything
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> to<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Lawrence of Arabia</i>, all of it
culminating in shirtless sword fight between Batman and Ra’s--one of the
goofiest, most homoerotic scenes I’ve ever seen in a cartoon, made all the more
goofy by the fact that Batman keeps his mask on for the duration of the fight
(just like he did in the original Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams comics). I kind of
love it, and eagerly await the day DC Collectibles announces an action figure
two-pack for their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i> line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3. Two-Face Parts 1&2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What was great about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i>’ interpretation of Two-Face is that the audience first got to
know the character as Bruce Wayne’s best friend, Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent--which
made his eventual turn all the more shocking for those who weren’t already
deeply invested in the comics. The first half of this two-part episode is
undeniably the superior entry, as we see the tragic circumstances that led to
Dent getting half his face scarred, but once again, the true genius of the show
lies in its careful reinterpretations of Batman’s classic villains. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i> was the first to suggest that Dent
already had immense psychological scars before he acquired the physical ones.
It’s heavy stuff, and the first half plays not like a superhero adventure but
rather an intensely psychological character study. The second part doesn’t
quite live up to the first, both in the writing and animation, but it’s solid
enough, and largely able to coast on the goodwill established in the first
part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. Heart of Ice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Heart of Ice” has long been considered the best episode
of the entire series, for good reason. It took Mr. Freeze, a ridiculous villain
that no one had much use for previously, and completely rethought him from the
ground up, using his cold motif not only as a gimmick but a thematic starting
point for a character who is dead to all emotion. It revamped the villain’s
origin, giving Freeze a compelling motivation by having him lose his wife in the
same accident that caused his frozen condition. But aside from the fresh take
on an old character, “Heart of Ice” excels in nearly every other regard, whether
it’s writer Paul Dini’s poetic, whipsmart dialogue, Bruce Timm’s assured
direction of both slick action scenes and high character drama or the smooth
and beautifully-rendered animation courtesy of the Spectrum animation studio. Like
the rest of the series, it’s a story that is representative of what is best in
Batman, bringing together all of the elements of the character and his world in
a perfect way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. Over the Edge </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a great debate over the merits of dream
sequences in narrative, the chief argument revolving around whether the stakes
can have any lasting impact on the characters if the events in the dream don’t
actually happen. It’s a bullshit argument, in my opinion--just because
something is revealed to have not really taken place doesn’t remove from the
impact it had on either the audience or the characters themselves; what matters
is whether the emotion behind it reads as truthful, which is part of the reason
this episode works as well as it does. “Over the Edge” presents a what-if
scenario of what would happen if one of the Bat-family were to fall in the line
of duty, and the ramifications that follow. Considering that said Bat-family
member is Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, the daughter of police commissioner Jim
Gordon, it becomes the darkest timeline as Batman has his identity outed and is
on the run from the police, with his former friend and mentor leading the charge.
The events continue to spiral out of control, before the episode climaxes with
a tragic showdown that ends with lives ruined and friendships broken. Honestly,
the fact that it all turns out to be a Scarecrow-induced nightmare in the end
is a relief. But, aside from the charge the audience gets from seeing the
unthinkable occur, the episode works as well as it does partially because it
plays on the very real anxieties of Barbara, whose anxiety at keeping her night
life a secret from her dad is clearly beginning to bother her. The true ending
of “Over the Edge” is as sweet as the false one is horrifying, the perfect bow
to cap the very best episode of the series.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-45648319973516336702019-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-25T06:10:57.008-08:00Batman: The Animated Series Ranked, Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>50-26...</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">50. It’s Never Too Late</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s nary a supervillain to be found in this
outing, a somber, character-driven affair, in which aging mobster Arthur
Stromwell tries to prevent a war with rival Rupert Thorne. Once Stromwell’s son
goes missing, he assumes Thorne is behind it, and Batman must race against the
clock to prevent an all-out gang war breaking out in Gotham City. Strong
writing and resonant thematic work makes this an episode, an early indicator
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Animated Series</i> was
operating at another level than most cartoons of the day (or, indeed, any time
period).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">49. Chemistry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The unthinkable happens in this episode, as Batman
meets that special someone and decides to retire the Bat-mantle as Bruce Wayne
gets himself hitched. Of course, there’s a little more to it than that, as it’s
revealed that Poison Ivy has created synthetic plant people to woo Gotham’s
elite out of their wealth…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one of which
is Bruce Wayne’s blushing bride. It’s a jam-packed episode where the events
happen a little too quickly, but is made up for with several wonderful
sequences, like the first “unmasking” of one of Ivy’s plant-men.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">48. Double Talk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Ventriloquist is given a clean bill of mental
health after his latest stay at Arkham, but his old gang members want their
jobs back, and thus stage events to get poor Arnold Wesker back in touch with
his dummy Scarface. Wesker’s dilemma feels genuine and heartfelt, and I like
that Bruce Wayne gives him a job at Wayne Industries as a mail
clerk--presumably to help him get back on his feet, but also to keep a close
eye on the former rogue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">47. Critters</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is one of the most derided episodes of the
entire series, which is really unfair. Sure, the villain Farmer Brown feels of
a piece with the goofballs that used to show up on the ’66 Batman show, but the
design of his genetically-enhanced farm animals is cool as all get out. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS </i>MVP Joe R. Lansdale adds flair to
the script with his crackerjack dialogue, and, really: how can you hate a show
with mutant, Pterodactyl-like chickens, a horde of giant praying mantis and the
creepiest talking goat to ever grace a cartoon? Let go of your hate, fanboys,
and learn to embrace the fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">46. Heart of Steel Parts 1&2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Batman goes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade
Runner</i> in this two-part epic, in which the artificial intelligence HARDAC
takes control of his creator Carl Rossum’s robotics company and begins creating
robot duplicates of Gotham’s most important citizens, such as Mayor Hill and
Commissioner Gordon. The animators circumvent the censors by having the enemies
be artificial, and thus are free to inflict all manner of carnage throughout,
but the real selling point is the introduction of Barbara Gordon. She doesn’t
don the mantle of Batgirl just yet, but her proactive attitude in taking on
HARDAC by her lonesome to discover what happened to her father is a nice
foreshadowing of the hero she would later become.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">45. The Man Who Killed Batman</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is it, the episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i> where Batman finally meets his maker. Who is the perpetrator
accused of offing the Dark Knight? That would be wannabe criminal Sid the
Squid, a putz who accidentally causes Batman to fall into a giant explosion,
and subsequently finds himself the most famous felon in Gotham, as a result.
But that fame comes with a price, as now every crime boss and two-bit hood in
the city want a go at the man who killed the Bat, not the least of which is the
Clown Prince of Crime himself, who is enraged that someone beat him to the
punch in offing his greatest foe. It’s a fun, comedic episode that nevertheless
has an edge, and Mark Hamill gets to do some of his best work in the entire
series. Oh, and it turns out Batman’s not really dead in the end. Surprise.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">44. Avatar</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once this episode opens with a music-only sequence
featuring a Peter Cushing lookalike as an archaeologist at an Egyptian tomb, it
had my heart. The rest of the episode is equally rich in classic genre
excavation, as Batman races against Ra’s al Ghul to find an ancient, mummified
sorcereress that holds the secret to eternal life. Complicating things, Ra’s’ daughter
Talia aligns herself with Batman (who spends a refreshing amount of time out of
costume for most of the episode), which is always tricky, because the Dark
Knight is never sure how much he can trust his mightiest foe’s loyal daughter.
All of the pulpy, old-world hallmarks are there: exotic, world-travelling
locales, Bruce and Talia in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jodhpurs</i>,
plane rides represented through a dotted line on a map… it’s the type of detail
that made <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i> such a memorable show
in the first place, and the final showdown with the mummy Thoth Khepera (voiced
by Nichelle Nichols!) is a show-stopper .</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">43. The Demon Within</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the nice things about the revamped <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Batman Adventures </i>is the increase in
superhero guest stars. Case in point: Jason Blood, aka Etrigan the Demon. The
classic Jack Kirby character gets a lavish treatment courtesy of the slick, new
animation style, and even brings along classic rival Klarion the Witch Boy to
wreak magical havoc in the streets of Gotham City. The plot is simplistic, and
anyone not familiar with the Demon or Klarion will probably be hopelessly lost,
as both are introduced with little fanfare or explanation of who they are or
where they come from. Still, it’s a blast to watch from beginning to end, and
Billy Zane kills it in his dual performance as Blood and Etrigan. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">42. Feat of Clay Parts 1&2</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perhaps the best aspect of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Animated Series</i> is the streamlining of the
Bat-mythos--taking decades of continuity from the comics and boiling them down
to their purest form. At the time, there had been half a dozen versions of
Clayface since his debut in the 1940’s, but the show pulls the best elements
from each to create a definitive portrayal of the mud-man rogue. This version
is Matt Hagen, an actor who has been disfigured and is relying on a special new
face cream to hide his scars and keep getting work in show-business. Things go
horribly wrong, of course, and Hagen soon finds himself a walking pile of
shape-shifting clay. Some of the best animation in the series puts Clayface through
some pretty spectacular transformations, and Ron Perlman’s vocal performance imbues
Hagen with the tragic motivation that was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i>’
bread-and-butter. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">41. Mean Seasons</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode takes inspiration from classic
Bat-villain the Calendar Man and refashions him into Calendar Girl, a former
model who was aged out of the business and now covers her face with a mask and
commits crimes coinciding with the four seasons. Calender Girl provides an
interesting psychological portrait of a villain, but the episode really shines
as a satire on the media world, and a pretty searing indictment on its
obsession with youth and beauty--and utter disregard for everything that falls
outside those bounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">40. Riddler’s Reform</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Riddler episodes are tricky, as they all hinge on
the singular gimmick of a crook who commits crimes and then deliberately leaves
a trail of clues behind, daring Batman and the police to catch him in the act.
If you’re not careful, then all the Riddler’s appearances can begin to feel a
bit same-y. Which is why this episode is the best of all the Riddler
episodes--a clever workaround of the villain’s central gimmick that sees Edward
Nygma attempting to go straight by selling his brand to a successful line of
toys. Of course, the Riddler just can’t help himself, and thus taunts Batman
with various clues that suggest he may not be completely reformed after all. It
also helps that the various riddles and puzzles are smart enough to give Batman
a run for his money, and not as far-fetched or simplistic as Riddler schemes
have been in other Bat-media.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">39. A Bullet for Bullock</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Harvey Bullock gets the spotlight in this episode,
as the hard-nosed GCPD detective fends off several attempts on his life and
reluctantly enlists the help of Batman to help him deduce which of his many
enemies currently has it out for him. It’s one of the most noir-infused
episodes in the entire series, with a jazzy score and a down-on-his-luck
protagonist dodging bullets at every turn. The ultimate reveal of who’s behind
the various killings is more comedic, but also doubles down Bullock’s
unapologetic characterization as a working stiff who’s competent at his job,
but otherwise a complete and total fuck-up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">38. Shadow of the Bat Parts 1&2</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After being teased in “Heart of Steel,” Barbara Gordon
makes her debut as Batgirl in this fantastic two-parter, which sees
Commissioner Gordon framed for taking bribes by his new assistant Gil Mason.
It’s the type of plot unique to a cartoon that could only be found on this very
show, and this two-parter uses every opportunity to tell its story in a manner
as sophisticated and adult as possible. Best of all is the characterization of
Batgirl herself, a superhero operating independently of Batman and Robin and
drawing their ire, as a result. But Babs pulls through in the end, proving to
the boys that she can do anything they can, on her own terms and without their
help, if need be. Also the first appearance of Batman’s criminal alter ego
Matches Malone, so points for that, as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">37. Off-Balance</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Talia al Ghul makes her first appearance here, solo
and without her father, just as it happened in the comics. She teams with
Batman to stop the villainous Count Vertigo from stealing a hi-tech sonic weapon,
only to double-cross him and report to her father in the end (the first of many
betrayals--you’d think Batman would learn eventually). Vertigo’s
reality-warping effects are nicely animated, and already the chemistry is there
between Talia and Batman. It’s another fine example of how the series would set
up larger events to come, a rarity for cartoons at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">36. Dreams in Darkness</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a strong dose of the Scarecrow’s fear toxin,
Batman finds himself an inmate at Arkham Asylum after wrecking the Batmobile,
and struggles to prove his sanity in time foil the Scarecrow’s latest plot.
More fantastic hallucination/dream sequences really make this episode, as
Batman has to overcome the fear toxin coursing through his veins to take on
Scarecrow and his minions. Of course, the show has to come up with some BS
excuse for why Arkham’s staff doesn’t immediately remove his mask and blow
Batman’s secret identity, but it’s a plot contrivance that’s easy to forgive
when the rest of the episode is as good as it is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">35. Batgirl Returns</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Batman is pretty much absent for this entire
episode, as Batgirl forms an uneasy alliance with Catwoman in taking on corrupt
businessman Roland Daggett. The episode is highlighted for its beautiful, fluid
animation, as both these incarnations of Batgirl and Catwoman have never looked
better, but the real fun is seeing the inexperienced Babs bounce off of a
Selina Kyle she’s not entirely sure she can trust. The episode also is the
first to introduce the interesting dynamic between Dick and Barbara--who at
this point don’t know about each other’s interesting night lives, as the two
are quite chummy in their everyday lives, but they can’t stand each other while
in costume.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">34. Harley’s Holiday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Harley Quinn gets her first adventure without any
involvement from the Joker, a nice change of pace that foreshadows the
character’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>modern-day status as a solo
operator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot this time around
finds Harley given a clean bill of mental health after her most recent stay at
Arkham, but one bad day sends her spiraling back to the red and black tights,
where she proceeds to kidnap Veronica Vreeland. It’s essentially a screwball
comedy, with everyone from Batman and Robin, Harvey Bullock, mobster Boxy
Bennett and Vreeland’s own five-star general father getting involved in the
chase. A zany episode overall, but Batman’s last-minute kindness shown to
Harley is enough to bring the tears at the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">33. Old Wounds</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rift that finally pushed Dick Grayson to quit
his role as the original Robin is revealed in this episode, as the now-grown
Dick relates to Tim Drake the events that led to him splitting away from his
former mentor. It’s another <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TNBA </i>episode
that would have benefitted from being a two-parter, but still manages to pack
in a surprising amount in its twenty-two minute run-time. Dick’s reasons for
leaving are genuine, and never once feel forced or contrived, as the former
Robin grows increasingly uncomfortable with his mentor’s increasingly harsh
methods--an assumption he later reconsiders after seeing one of the crooks Batman
menaced in the past given a job in the present at Wayne Industries by Bruce
Wayne himself. It was one of the many things I appreciated most about the
series’ interpretation of its title character: how it showed the many facets of
Batman, and how it wasn’t always about punching out the bad guys.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">32. The Clock King</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Clock King was a joke of a villain in the
comics, possibly better remembered for the giant clock he wore as a mask over
anything else, but once again the creators of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS </i>worked their magic and completely reinvented the villain into
a far more compelling character. In this iteration, The Clock King is the uber
anally-rententive Temple Fugate, a stickler for punctuality and schedules whose
life is ruined due to the advice of future Mayor Hamilton Hill to loosen up and
shake up his daily routine. Seven years pass and Fugate has now fashioned
himself into a supervillain seeking revenge on Mayor Hill, using
carefully-timed and -plotted schemes to foil Batman at every turn. It’s a
terrific reinvention, largely thanks to details like Fugate timing the exact
seconds it takes Batman to throw a punch or execute a kick, and using that
against the hero in a climactic in the Gotham City clock tower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">31. Holiday Knights</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Batman Adventures</i> is actually an adaptation of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman Holiday Special</i> comic that was
produced by several of the show’s creators. All but one of the original stories
in that special are adapted, providing three separate vignettes of holiday
antics in Gotham City. All three are short and to-the-point, nothing terribly
deep or meaningful but certainly an awful lot of fun to watch. The end also
reveals a holiday tradition between Batman and Commissioner Gordon meeting for
a cup of coffee to celebrate the ringing in of a new year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">30. Zatanna</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s the very first team-up episode, as Batman joins
forces with Zatanna Zatara. The backwards-talking magician from the comics is
depowered and re-envisioned into a stage magician who finds herself in a spot
of trouble after an illusion gone wrong ends with the money in the Gotham Mint
going missing. We get another flashback to Bruce’s wandering years, where it’s
revealed that he trained with Zatanna’s father in the discipline of escape
artistry, and maybe had a thing going with Zatanna while he was there. Batman
and Zatanna’s chemistry carries the episode, and the final showdown aboard a
massive flying wing provides all the pyrotechnics a fan could possibly want.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">29. Never Fear</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Scarecrow gets his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TNBA</i> makeover in this episode, and is the most successful redesign
of the bunch--gone is the lanky straw-man of old, replaced by a ghoul resembling
a Western preacher with a gruesome mask (is it even truly a mask anymore?) and
a torn noose hanging around his neck. It’s a fantastic design, and made all the
more creepy by the recasting of Jeffery Combs in the role, who brings an icy
and devastating calm to the former Jonathan Crane. The plot is simple enough,
with the Scarecrow now working with a self-help guru to remove peoples’ fears
instead of triggering them. Of course, Batman gets hit by a dose, and we get to
see a Dark Knight without fear, and thus, without limitations, leaving Robin in
the unenviable position of standing up to his now out-of-control boss. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">28. Joker’s Favor</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the one: the debut of the now-ubiquitous
Harley Quinn. Given the character’s eventual popularity, one would assume the
episode would be all Harley, all the time, but her introductory appearance is
about as low-key as it gets--Harley is essentially a hench-girl who could have
never appeared again and probably no one would have noticed. Instead, the main
focus of the episode is Charlie Collins, an ordinary guy who runs afoul of the
Joker and forced into owing him a favor; a favor that the Joker calls in
several years later when he needs help bombing a ceremony held in honor of
Commissioner Gordon. It was the first Joker episode produced for the series
that was worthy of the villain’s legendary status, and although her appearance
here is as nondescript as it gets, Harley’s later popularity speaks for itself.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">27. Robin’s Reckoning Parts 1&2</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We get to see the series tackle Dick Grayson’s
origin story with this two-parter, in which old demons are dug up from the past
to haunt the present. Tony Zucco, the man responsible for Dick’s parents’
death, shows back up in present-day Gotham City, and Batman keeps a vengeful
Robin out of the loop while he tracks down Zucco. Both episodes flash back
between the present and the past, as we see a young Dick Grayson at the circus
and his transition to living in Wayne Manor. The character dynamics are once
again what truly makes this two-parter great, and the added run-time really
allows the story to breathe, instead of just desperately racing to the next
action scene. The bond between the orphaned Wayne and Grayson immediately
asserts itself in the narrative past, but is pushed near to the breaking point
in the present as Robin goes behind Batman’s back to hunt down Zucco on his
own. The growing uncomfortable and contentious relationship between Dick and
Bruce was something that the show would later mine in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Batman Adventures</i>, and was one of the things that helped
define the show from the simplistic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Superfriends</i>
of old.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">26. Beware the Creeper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Steve Ditko’s oddball superhero from the late
sixties gets his animated debut here, in an episode penned by comics luminary
Steve Gerber. The series had teased the character’s eventual appearance in
earlier episodes, as his alter ego Jack Ryder frequently showed up in news
broadcasts, but here we get to see his transformation in Ditko’s weird, wacky
character. His origin is altered slightly from the comics in order to bring
Batman and the Joker into the mix, as Ryder gets dumped into the same toxic
chemicals that gave birth to the Joker while doing a special report on the Clown
Price of Crime. Gerber’s script is whip-smart and actually funny, with The
Creeper getting all the best lines, maniacally voiced by VO stalwart Jeff
Bennett.</span></div>
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<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-55504672700877031762019-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-25T06:13:17.449-08:00Batman: The Animated Series Ranked, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfrURssusToNx2FJJnv67bskD4MZk1AUcDkj7P0XLFRFdr_HaRipNQjGShgg7QHB4iMyiTCoDa4pgoZloEbC3oDlMnM0aQp6FGOf43hkT5sXUzcJOweYukU6uK89e4YogjFqTxX6oC2m1/s1600/Batman-and-Robin-title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfrURssusToNx2FJJnv67bskD4MZk1AUcDkj7P0XLFRFdr_HaRipNQjGShgg7QHB4iMyiTCoDa4pgoZloEbC3oDlMnM0aQp6FGOf43hkT5sXUzcJOweYukU6uK89e4YogjFqTxX6oC2m1/s320/Batman-and-Robin-title.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>75-51...</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">75. The Lion and the Unicorn</span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode has gotten the reputation as being one
of the series’ worst, but I think that’s a little unfair. The Red Claw is the
main villain this time out, and fares about as well as she did in her previous
appearance, but the episode surrounding her is a decent adventure of spies and
subterfuge. We get a look into Alfred’s background working in British
Intelligence, an aspect of the character that’s been little explored throughout
his seventy-plus year history. Plus, his old partner is a dead ringer for David
Niven, a nice touch on behalf of the classic film buff animators, who would
often base secondary characters’ looks on their favorite actors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">74. The Forgotten</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bruce Wayne battles amnesia as he’s kidnapped and
forced to work in an illegal mining operation with several other homeless men
taken from the streets of Gotham. It’s another episode that comes dangerously
close to veering into “message” territory, but is saved by an excellent dream
sequence in which Bruce Wayne remembers he is, in fact, Batman. There’s also a
great, darkened showdown in a mine shaft, some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">White Lightning</i>-inspired cues on the soundtrack and a nice comedy
bit with Alfred attempting to fly the Batwing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">73. Cold Comfort</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The reinvention of Mr. Freeze into a tragic villain
was one of the series’ masterstrokes, but the singularity of his motivation
meant it was hard to find justifiable reasons to bring the character back for
more adventures. Here, in the new look, redesign episodes, the creators once
again revise Mr. Freeze, having him succumb to a disease which erodes his body
and leaves nothing but his head behind. Tortured by this turn of events, the
cold-hearted villain gets a cybernetic body and decides to take out his
suffering on others, destroying what they value most. On the plus side, we get
awesome moments like the Mr. Freeze head on robotic spider-legs. On the minus:
Freeze’s new mini-skirted, Eskimo coat-wearing hench-girls, who are horribly
out of place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">72. Terror in the Sky</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was the first villain to appear in the very first
episode of the series, so it’s only fitting that the Man-Bat should make a
return appearance… although it’s not Kirk Langstrom making the turn this time,
but rather his wife, Francine, marking her debut as the She-Bat. It’s not
anywhere near the instant classic that was “On Leather Wings,” but it is a
decent follow-up adventure, and the climactic showdown on a commercial flight
is tense and excitingly-staged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">71. Night of the Ninja</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode provides us with our first look at
Bruce Wayne’s “lost years,” the time in his life when he travelled the world
and learned the various disciplines that would later enable him to become
Batman. The sepia-toned flashbacks of Bruce’s martial arts training in Japan
are the highlight of the episode, while in the present day an old rival seeks
revenge on Wayne by stealing from his corporate holdings. The Ninja/Kyodai Ken
is played a bit too broad for my tastes, but he looks super cool zipping around
the Gotham rooftops, slicing up everything in sight with his katana. The final
showdown between a civilian-garbed Bruce Wayne and Ken is also a standout
action scene.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">70. Fire from Olympus</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maxie Zeus feels like a villain that stepped right
out of the sixties TV show, although he didn’t make his Bat-debut until 1979. A
delusional businessman who fancies himself the Greek god Zeus, he could be a
silly character if not handled properly, but fortunately the animators find the
right approach in bringing him to life in the series. Maxie mistaking Batman
for Hades and the other Gotham rogues for others in the Greek pantheon is a fun
bit of business, and the music is suitably epic and bombastic to fit in with
the Olympian theme.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">69. Pretty Poison</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Poison Ivy makes her animated debut in this
mostly-solid episode, a good showcase for what the series did best when it was
at its best. Highlights include a nicely-edited bit of cross-cutting as Batman
is late for a dinner while bringing in some crooks, and the inclusion of a
pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent as Ivy’s unwitting boyfriend/victim--it was always
nice when the show set up characters and events to pay off in later episodes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">68. Nothing to Fear</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Scarecrow is wildly off-model and some of the
animation isn’t as strong as it is in other episodes, but the fear-based
Bat-villain’s debut is still an awful lot of fun. The hallucination scenes are
eerie and inventive, and the final showdown aboard a flaming zeppelin is one of
the most exciting set-pieces in the whole run of the series. This is also where
the iconic line “I am vengeance, I am the night… I am Batman!” comes from, so
extra points for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">67. Judgment Day</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A new vigilante has rolled into town, raining on
Batman’s parade and favoring a more lethal approach. The Judge is an
impressively-designed anti-hero, but the real delight lies in the climactic
reveal of his true identity. The only thing holding it back is its resemblance
to the earlier episode “Second Chances” (and, in a roundabout way, the feature <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mask of the Phantasm</i>), which more or
less had the same twist at the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">66. His Silicon Soul</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This sequel to the classic two-parter “Heart of
Steel” has a nifty gimmick, following the robot duplicate Batman as the
protagonist of the story. The leftover from the supercomputer HARDAC’s robot
takeover is convinced he’s the actual Batman, and will stop at
nothing--including altercations with the real Batman himself--to prove his
humanity. It deals in some pretty heavy stuff in the first half, but eventually
Robot Batman learns the truth and becomes a vessel for HARDAC’s rebirth via the
computer in the Batcave. It all leads to a disappointing action finale in an
episode that initially promised much more, but still a solid effort overall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">65. Joker’s Millions</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s another light-hearted romp for the Joker this
time out, which sees everyone’s favorite Clown Prince of Crime inherit a
fortune from the death of an old rival. It’s a sharp left turn form some of the
Joker’s darker appearances in episodes like “The Laughing Fish” and “Mad Love,”
but a nice diversion nonetheless. It also helps that the script is genuinely
funny, with the “Fake Harley” scene being a standout. Many disapprove of the
Joker’s lipless, skull-like appearance in the redesigned TNBA episodes, but I
don’t mind it so much. It’s certainly distinctive, and animates well (which
wasn’t always the case for his original design).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">64. Girls’ Night Out</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The slight revamping of Batgirl was one of the
highlights of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Batman Adventures</i>,
so it’s exciting to see that character teaming up with the DCAU’s version of
Supergirl from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Superman: The Animated
Series</i>. And, if the two girls are teaming up, of course they would have to
take on the duo of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy--one of the best pairings to
come out of the entire series’ run. Unfortunately, the Superman villain
Livewire is also added to the mix, but never really gels with the indelible
team of Harley and Ivy. The chemistry between Batgirl and Supergirl makes up
for it, though, resulting in an episode that overcomes its flaws to become
quite enjoyable in the end. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">63. Joker’s Wild</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode hinges on a rather clever twist--after
a casino uses his likeness without his permission, the Joker plots to blow it
up to send a message to its owner. The only trouble being that said casino
owner planned it all from the beginning, in a last minute scheme to collect on
the insurance from the damage the Joker would inevitably incur and save himself
from bankruptcy. The animation isn’t great, but when the script is this good
(including a wonderful scene where Bruce Wayne screws with the Joker in his
civilian guise), it doesn’t matter so much. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">62. Paging the Crime Doctor</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The beautifully-pulpy title card might lead you to
believe this episode revolves around an evil doctor, but the show is far more
low-key and character centric than that. Rupert Thorne is in need of some
delicate brain surgery, and it just so happens that his brother Matthew is a
doctor. Not able to pull off the surgery on his own, Matthew kidnaps Leslie
Thompkins to assist, and of course Batman gets involved. What really makes the
episode distinct is the connection both Matthew and Leslis had with Dr. Thomas
Wayne when they were younger, making the stakes more personal for Batman, and
ending on perfect note as Bruce Wayne asks Matthew to tell him about his
father.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">61. Sideshow</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Killer Croc is the focus of this episode, as he
escapes from a prison transfer only to stumble upon a group of former circus
freaks who’ve created a sanctuary for themselves in a farmhouse in the middle
of the woods. The kindness they show to Croc ultimately backfires, so it’s a
good thing Batman shows up to put the man-gator back behind bars. The most
refreshing thing about this episode is the change of scenery, as Batman trades
running atop the skyscrapers of Gotham for the woodsy outdoors. Croc’s betrayal
of the circus folk also allows the episode a sense of poignancy, as the villain
seems incapable of responding to any form of kindness shown to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">60. Birds of a Feather</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wealthy socialite Veronica Vreeland decides to spice
up her fancy get-togethers by inviting the Penguin along, so her and her awful
friends can laugh at the funny little birdman behind his back. The Penguin is
wooed by the promise of wealth and respect at first, but eventually figures out
he’s being played for a fool, and things play out pretty much as you’d expect
from there. This is easily the best Penguin-centric episode, another story of
lovelorn heartbreak that the series seems to excel at. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">59. Cult of the Cat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is pretty much a nonstop chase episode, as
Catwoman runs afoul of a cult of cat-based thieves and assassins, and Batman of
course gets dragged into the mix--because when it comes to Catwoman, the Dark
Knight just can’t seem to help himself. I generally prefer the animal activist
characterization she had in the original run of B:TAS, as opposed to the more
outwardly villainous take found in the TNBA episodes, but this is a fun romp
all around, whether it’s Batman fighting a giant, mutant feline or the
episode’s clever reinvention of Thomas Blake/Catman as the leader of the cat
cult.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">58. Sins of the Father</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim Drake’s debut is a rushed affair, an episode
which attempts to jam as much story as it can into its twenty-two minute
runtime and doesn’t quite manage to make it all fit. It’s a story that perhaps
could have benefitted from a second-part, as Tim goes from street urchin to
wearing the Robin outfit in awfully-quick succession. But where the episode
works is in the characterization of Tim himself, and Batman realizing that if
he doesn’t do anything to help the young boy, he could be looking at a life of
crime otherwise. Also, it is kind of fun to see a kid Robin fighting alongside
Batman after years of the college-aged Dick Grayson. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">57. Day of the Samurai</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode rounds out the Kyodai Ken saga that begun
in “Night of the Ninja,” this time with Batman traveling to Japan to deal with
a former rival from his days as a martial arts student. It was always nice when
the series left Gotham City, and it’s an awful lot of fun to see Batman running
along the rooftops of Tokyo. The animation is really strange, taking on the
same rubbery, overly-busy style of “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You
Rich?”(fitting, since both episodes where the only ones to be handled by Brazilian
studio Blue Pencil, S.I.), but when the episode ends with Batman fighting the
Ninja on an exploding volcano, it more than makes up for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">56. Vendetta</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Killer Croc makes his series debut, a nice,
down-and-dirty noir that sees the crocodile man taking his revenge on Harvey
Bullock by framing him for several crimes. It’s a nice, moody episode filled
with rain and fog, and the series’ version of Croc as a hard-boiled felon who’s
also a monster straight out of a horror movie shows just how much the animators
were willing to play around with genre. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">55. See No Evil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This creepy episode is enhanced by some impressive
animation effects in creating the show’s invisible villain, Lloyd Ventrix.
Ventrix is a career criminal who’s been estranged from family, and uses a new,
experimental invisible fabric to sneak into his ex-wife’s house and pose as an
“imaginary friend” to his young daughter. It’s one of those episodes that’s
surprisingly chilling for a children’s cartoon, although it never crosses a
line or puts the daughter character in any real danger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">54. Baby Doll</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baby Doll is another original villain created
especially for the series, a former child star from a once-popular sitcom who
was cursed with a disease that prevented her from aging. Bitter at being rejected
by show business, Baby Doll decides to recapture her former glory by kidnapping
her old costars and force them to act out the show. She never attained the
popularity of other original characters like Harley Quinn, which is a
shame--although Baby Doll is the most cartoony of all the show’s designs, she
still has the tragic edge that the series brought to all of Batman’s rogues,
with a final scene that’s especially heart-breaking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">53. Blind as a Bat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Batman briefly turns into Daredevil for this
episode, as he temporarily loses his sight following an explosive accident.
Being that the Penguin has just stolen an experimental military gunship, Batman
(with the help of Leslie Thompkins) devises a special helmet that uses sonar to
allw him to “see” once more. It’s a story that hinges entirely on a gimmick,
but the episode is well done from top-to-bottom, especially the climactic scene
where Batman’s helmet begins malfunctioning and thus is forced to fight his
enemies in total darkness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">52. Deep Freeze</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Heart of Ice” is a hard act to follow, but Mr.
Freeze’s second appearance in the series is an enjoyable mix of everything from
classic James Bond plots to Walt Disney analogues. Aging billionaire Grant
Walker springs Freeze from prison, hoping to harness his cryo-freezing
technology to achieve immortality for him and his wealthy elite in his new
utopian city, Oceana. There’s a lot of fun scenes, and Mr. Freeze retains his
chilly, detached characterization, staying true to the masterful reinvention
presented in his animated debut.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">51. Catwalk</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Catwoman and the Ventriloquist & Scarface is
about as unlikely a villain team-up as there is, so already this episode gets
points for originality alone. The plot involving stolen taxidermy is about as
basic as it gets, but the episode really gets to shine in the way all the
characters bounce off of one another, not the least of which is the continuing
antagonistic flirtation between Batman and Catwoman. Top it off with some
beautiful animation, and you have a fine episode, indeed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-88145680566713434472019-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-24T13:14:41.242-08:00Batman: The Animated Series Ranked, Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNZYyXL5QyVcr_e9MU7piosYRnhRsOwbpvHXNMODmk-PMr7Fao6FgoiIzJz8Ogq-qJf371J_zqKlsndvIWrKWrZbOgWIWqQdJgF3fYsfTVn_swhGeZk2W0b61uGGnyvSauJiGlhKHTuOM/s1600/Batman_the_Animated_Series_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNZYyXL5QyVcr_e9MU7piosYRnhRsOwbpvHXNMODmk-PMr7Fao6FgoiIzJz8Ogq-qJf371J_zqKlsndvIWrKWrZbOgWIWqQdJgF3fYsfTVn_swhGeZk2W0b61uGGnyvSauJiGlhKHTuOM/s320/Batman_the_Animated_Series_logo.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>102-76...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i></i></span></div>
<a name='more'></a>102. I’ve Got Batman In My Basement<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Had things gone differently, this episode represents
the Batman cartoon we could have gotten, if cooler heads hadn’t prevailed--a
simple-minded children’s after-school special where the Dark Knight Detective
teams up with a group of precocious kids who run afoul of one of his villains.
The only notable aspect of the episode is that it provides Paul Williams’ debut
in his stellar vocal performance of the Penguin, who would go on to greater
heights in later adventures. Mercifully, Batman’s kid helpers didn’t return.</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">101. The Underdwellers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s another “Very Special Episode” of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Animated Series</i>, this one
dealing with a group of orphaned kids doing the bidding of the villainous Sewer
King. It’s a set-up that could have been fashioned into something interesting,
but the constant proselytizing makes the whole thing a chore to sit through,
whether it’s Batman lecturing to a pair of thrill-chasers in the first scene or
a painfully-hamfisted moment later on where he scolds one young orphan that
“children and guns never mix.” Ugh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">100. Cat Scratch Fever</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The chief complaint that can be leveled against this
Catwoman-centric episode is how boring it is. Not much of note transpires in
these twenty-odd minutes, the plot of which concerns business mogul Roland
Daggett teaming with Professor Milo to spread a viral plague amongst Gotham
City’s stray cat population. How exciting. Couple that with some of the worst
animation in the series’ entire run, and you’re left with not much to recommend
in this snoozer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">99. Prophecy of Doom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here’s another interesting set-up that is marred by
a weak script and even weaker animation. The idea of a con-man running a
religious cult to skim wealthy socialites of their fortunes is well-trod ground,
but doing so in through the prism of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B:TAS</i>’s
overall aesthetic could have produced some interesting results, had any of it
felt truly inspired. As it stands, the end result is merely tepid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">98. The Terrible Trio</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You’re truly scraping the bottom of the barrel of
Batman villains when you get to the Terrible Trio, but it was late into the
series’ run and, hey… if they could make Mr. Freeze cool, then surely the B:TAS
team could do the same with even the lamest of the Dark Knight’s rogues. But
sadly, not even the animators could do much to make this bunch of losers
interesting, painting them here as a bunch of bored, wealthy socialites looking
for an entirely new way to get their kicks. Wonky animation and timid action
scenes leave this outing lacking in pretty much every way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">97. Christmas with the Joker</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was the first Joker episode in the production
line, and thus Mark Hamill’s debut in a series- and character-defining
performance, but that’s probably all this episode has going for it. What really
sinks it is the awful animation, which sees Joker going wildly off-model and
frequently portrayed with a head three times too big for his body. The script
has some nice character bits between Batman and Robin on the merits of the
holiday season, but is otherwise light as cotton candy. It’s essentially one
fancy set-piece after another--which might have been fun, but again, the weak
animation keeps it from being anything other than subpar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">96. Be A Clown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We get yet another glimpse of the Batman cartoon
B:TAS could have been with this snoozer, the story of which sees Mayor Hamilton
Hill’s young son running away from home and being taken in by the Joker.
Thankfully these “message” episodes where mostly front-loaded early on in the
series’ run, and very quickly done away with once the show’s creators found
their groove and decided that kids could appreciate cool, sophisticated
storytelling just as much as anyone else, without having to be preached at or
talked down to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">95. Eternal Youth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We get a glimpse into Alfred’s love-life with this
oddity of an episode, which sees Batman’s dutiful butler dragged off by his
lady friend Maggie to a fancy new resort promising renewed youth for the
elderly. It turns out the resort is run by Poison Ivy and involves some
convoluted scam that is slowly turning its occupants into tree people. Not
exactly the height of excitement, and Maggie never made another appearance in
the series… perhaps for the best.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">94. Lock-Up</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul Dini struck gold
earlier in the series’ run with the creation of Harley Quinn, so it’s
understandable he’d want to try his hand at creating another new rogue for
Batman to tangle with, but sadly, Lock-Up never quite rises to the challenge. A
Punisher-esque, lethal force-dealing vigilante, Lock-Up is disgruntled Arkham
security guard Lyle Bolton, who decides to take matters into his own hands upon
seeing the lax treatment many receive at Gotham City’s premier asylum for the
criminally insane. It’s an interesting angle for a new character, but the
episode never really finds its footing before the credits roll.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">93. Moon of the Wolf</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I want to be more forgiving to this one, as it’s an
adaptation of the classic Len Wein/Neal Adams story from the comics, but the
series drops the ball hard with this episode. It’s mainly due to the animation,
which comes courtesy of AKOM, a South Korean studio which was responsible for
some of the worst animation in the entire run of B:TAS. Here the studio commits
the ultimate sin by making a Batman vs. werewolf fight boring, although the
episode’s also not helped by an odd, electric guitar-heavy score and some lame
one-liners given to Batman himself. A missed opportunity, all in all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">92. The Last Laugh</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s not much to this one, a decent-if-unmemorable
Joker outing that is pretty much one extended action scene after another. The
threadbare plot involves the Joker hijacking a trash barge and spreading his
Joker venom gas wherever it makes port, and of course Batman is there to stop
him. There are a lot of fun bits along the way, such as the carnage inflicted
upon the Joker’s robot henchman, Captain Clown, but there’s little meat on
these bones. It’s all filler.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">91. Torch Song</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Firefly is not the most remarkable villain in
Batman’s rogues gallery, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that he gets an
equally-unremarkable debut in the animated series. He does get a sleek design
and some fancy gadgets (including a pretty cool flaming lightsaber), and Batman
dons a nifty flame-retardant suit of armor to defeat him in the end, but
Firefly is lacking the motivation that made the series’ reinvention of
characters such as Mr. Freeze so indelible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">90. Love is a Croc</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode sees the odd pairing of Killer Croc and
Baby Doll, a team-up that feels like a joke that the animators never managed to
find a punch-line to. It’s nice to see the return of the series’ original
creation Baby Doll, but her connection with Killer Croc is a little
far-fetched, and ultimately goes nowhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">89. The Mechanic</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Batman’s support team is expanded with this episode,
as we meet Batman’s personal mechanic and inventor of the Batmobile, Earl
Cooper. It’s just too bad the character couldn’t have been introduced in an
episode that didn’t feel like it was mandated to tie-in to the subplot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman Returns</i> in which the Penguin
gains control of the Batmobile. Still, there are some fun details, such as the
flashback in which we get to see the classic, forties-styled Batmobile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">88. The Cat and the Claw Parts 1&2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Catwoman makes her debut in this two-parter, and
it’s her flirtatious standoffs with Batman that save what is otherwise a dreary
storyline of environmental terrorists and animal activism. It might have been
better served had the villain been more of an interesting foil to Catwoman, but
while the Red Claw looks cool, she’s way too much of a mustache-twirler to be
taken seriously. Still, the show’s characterization of Selina Kyle/Catwoman was
a slam-dunk right from the start, thanks in no small part to Adrienne Barbeau’s
sultry intonations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">87. What is Reality?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The promise of virtual reality was all the rage in
the nineties, so it makes sense that it would be a subject that B:TAS would
tackle in some form or another. Why it came courtesy of the Riddler is more of
a puzzle, but it does presage <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman
Forever</i>’s take on the villain, so… good on that? Still, the virtual world
allows for some fun visuals, such as Batman as a medieval knight riding a
winged Pegasus, and the show’s writers always managed to come up with smart
riddles for the classic villain that didn’t feel like they were lifted from a
cheap joke book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">86. Make ‘Em Laugh</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">B:TAS rarely delved into straight-up comedy, but the
variety of tones and just the sheer amount of episodes meant there was room to
play around. This is a fun episode, which sees the Joker taking revenge on a
group of standup comedians after being disqualified from an earlier comedy
competition. A lightweight affair that I’m not inclined to rewatch as much as
some others, but the episode did gift us with the Condiment King, so there’s
that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">85. Bane</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bane was a brand new Bat-villain at the time of the
series’ original run, so it was something of a surprise that the animators
decided to bring him into the show. Bane’s debut in the comics saw him break
Batman’s back in a major storyline, but his animated counterpart doesn’t make
quite as big a splash. The animators seem to struggle a bit in finding a proper
direction for the character, who is set up as a big threat but is ultimately
kind of a goofball. There is a great third act showdown between Batman and
Bane, and bringing Rupert Thorne into the proceedings gives us another excuse
to bring more John Vernon into the show, which is never something I’m inclined
to complain about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">84. Fear of Victory</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Robin gets most of the focus this episode, after he
gets a dose of Scarecrow’s fear toxin and struggles to fight crime with Batman
as a result. It’s a minor Scarecrow episode all in all, which sees the
straw-man villain drugging athletes to rig sports betting to his favor, but
there are some nicely-done sequences throughout. It also is the proper debut of
the Scarecrow’s animated look, a far better design than the bag-head look he
was given in “Nothing to Fear” after the overseas animators changed the model
during production. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">83. The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Adapting another classic story from the comics, this
episode provides a nice diversion from the super-villain of the week fare, with
a plot that strains credulity but is fun nonetheless. The death-traps staged by
master criminal Wormwood provide a suitable series of set-pieces for Batman to
navigate, and the final reveal who was after the Dark Knight’s cape and cowl
plays like gangbusters, even if it doesn’t make much sense when you stop and
think about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">82. Animal Act</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Mad Hatter is the villain of choice in this
Nightwing-centric episode, a return to the circus where Dick Grayson grew up
and where the animals all seem to be committing crimes at the behest of
someone. Any spotlight on Nightwing is always welcome, and the continued
frostiness between him and his former mentor remains a great source of
conflict. The Hatter’s plot is rather lame in comparison, but the circus
setting does provide a nice backdrop for all the action. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">81. Tyger, Tyger</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is one of the stranger episodes in the whole
series, one where Selina Kyle is abducted by a mad scientist and turned into a
literal cat-woman, and one where her affections are battled over by the
panther/man hybrid Tigris and a completely befuddled Batman. It’s an odd mix of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Island of Dr. Moreau</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Most Dangerous Game</i> and, as if the
episode were still lacking in literary references, allusions to William
Blake--a mix that doesn’t always work, it must be said, but one I still can’t
help but admire. The gothic atmosphere of the abandoned island and the sad fate
of Tigris also adds to the weird charm of a bafflingly-weird episode.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">80. The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the first and only appearance of Hugo
Strange (at least, for B:TAS--the character would later make a brief appearance
on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Justice League Unlimited</i>
series), one of Batman’s earliest and most long-lasting villains. For his
animated adaptation, the creators decided to downplay the mad science elements
and instead give Strange a device which allows him to read other people’s
minds. Of course, he uses the device on one Bruce Wayne, and subsequently
learns his deepest, darkest secret, which he then attempts to auction off to
the Joker, Penguin and Two-Face. It winds up being a fun episode, but one still
can’t help but feel cheated by this interpretation of Hugo Strange. I realize
the animators where wanting to keep everything grounded in some semblance of
reality, but the overall gothic vibe would have lent itself rather well to a
mad scientist creating Monster Men and the like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">79. If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Riddler makes his series debut with this episode,
a fine script which is otherwise done in by some truly wonky, off-model
animation. The Riddler’s appearances ultimately live or die by the cleverness
of the riddles that Batman has to solve, and here there are several satisfying
brain-teasers that provide a suitable mental challenge. It all culminates with a
showdown in a life-size maze--an exciting set-piece that works in spite of the
animation. It’s not that it’s bad, per se, just so different from everything
that came before. The animation is overly busy, with characters that stray so
far from the models that it looks at times like it’s from another show
entirely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">78. Time Out Of Joint</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Clock King’s drastic reinvention was one of the
better episodes of the series, so it’s a little disappointing that his return
appearance hinges on a new gimmick that gives him the ability to slow time down
while still being able to move at normal speed. It’s not that the episode is
bad, and the time-warping effects are handled by some impressively-fluid
animation, but I miss the calculating master manipulator who used his wits and
devious planning to foil Batman at every turn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">77. The Worry Men</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beautiful animation holds up a rather pedestrian
story featuring the return of the Mad Hatter and his latest scheme of mind
control and robbery, this time focusing his attentions on relieving Gotham
City’s elite of their massive wealth, including Bruce Wayne himself. I did like
that the reveal of the Mad Hatter being behind the whole scheme was held off
until at least halfway through the episode, and the final standoff with
life-size marionettes of Batman’s most famous foes provides a nice climax, but
there’s little else that leaves a memorable impression.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">76. I Am the Night</span></div>
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">B:TAS</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> was constantly trying to push the boundaries of
what could be done with a Saturday morning cartoon, often striving for a
greater maturity and sophistication in the stories the show’s creators
attempted to tell. It often worked to spectacular effect, but every once in a
while the show’s reach would exceed its grasp, as is the case with this
episode. “I Am the Night” is admirable in its aims, focusing on Batman’s
growing ennui at the seemingly inefficient effect he’s had in stopping crime on
the whole in Gotham, something which is compounded after Commissioner Gordon is
shot in the line of duty. The problem is that the whole show feels like it’s
trying too hard--it wants you to be impressed with how deep and serious it is
that it begins to feel like a real “emperor has no clothes” situation. </span><br />
<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-74096149045215561542018-05-26T05:00:00.000-07:002018-05-26T05:00:11.462-07:00Image Firsts: Cyberforce #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjM31lkKweHyzF7URkqQwWvhVNLmfHSnhRi5zEYAczzIw7S0p5KfMzl5x7FPEwMgw_CjURu57Pm8qP4gKDKVtk5QiS918zVuX84pX63q335HFsx-mm4t-nSRTKcSZkSKTdUIB3kKMEuIv/s1600/Cyberforce+V1+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjM31lkKweHyzF7URkqQwWvhVNLmfHSnhRi5zEYAczzIw7S0p5KfMzl5x7FPEwMgw_CjURu57Pm8qP4gKDKVtk5QiS918zVuX84pX63q335HFsx-mm4t-nSRTKcSZkSKTdUIB3kKMEuIv/s320/Cyberforce+V1+%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Did we mention half the Image artists used
to work on </i>X-Men<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the 1990’s, Marvel Comics’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men</i>
dominated the sales charts. Truth be told, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men
</i>had dominated the sales charts for much of the previous decade, as well,
thanks to writer Chris Claremont’s revamping of the old team into a multicultural
soap opera, thanks also in no small part to artists Dave Cockrum, John Byrne
and Paul Smith. But those guys were long gone by the latter part of the
eighties and early nineties, and a new breed of artist took over the title. We
talked about the sky-rocketing popularity of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men </i>book under Jim Lee’s tenure as that book’s penciller, but
before Jim Lee had a turn, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uncanny X-Men</i>
was drawn by an upstart by the name of Marc Silvestri. After Lee took the reins
on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uncanny</i> (and helped launch the
record-breaking, adjective-less <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men</i>
#1), Silvestri then moved over to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolverine</i>
solo title, where he spent the next few years leaving his mark on everyone’s
favorite mutant runt. As far as style goes, Silvestri and Lee were certainly of
a kind, both favoring flashy, hyper-detailed lines with sharp edges and plenty
of cross-hatching. So it’s perhaps not surprising that each artist’s debut
Image title was little more than thinly-veiled X-rip-offs. Indeed, unless
they’re a hardcore fan of the early Image days, many a comic book fan would be
hard-pressed to correctly identify from a line-up any of their characters as
either a member of Lee’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildcats </i>or
Silvestri’s debut Image book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyberforce</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
least Lee was playing around with a clandestine, decades-long war between alien
races in his title. Here in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyberforce</i>,
Silvestri decides to just make his super-team out-and-out mutants. I suppose
there is the concept of them being cybernetically-enhanced to differentiate
from Marvel’s Merry Mutants, but, considering one of said
cybernetically-enhanced mutants is a stoic badass with razor-sharp claws, the
differences seem to be little more than skin-deep. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyberforce</i> tells the story of a ragtag band of mutants on the run
not only from a world that fears and hates them, but also the mega-corporation
Cyberdata, which is responsible for giving them their enhancements so they can
be part of the S.H.O.C. program--that’s “Special Hazardous Operations Cyborgs”
(these Image books sure loved their acronyms, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyberforce</i> may just take the cake--every other page features an
asterisk denoting whatever the next nonsense acronym stands for). Beyond that,
we don’t learn much about the individual team-members themselves (sensing a
pattern here?), outside of a handful of clichéd internal monologues to give us
some sense of a personality to grizzled badasses Ripclaw and Stryker. It’s not
much, but it beats <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Actually,
that’s not entirely fair: Silvestri is smart enough to frame most of his action
around main character Velocity, an escapee Cyberdata is chasing through the
alleyways in the opening pages. We do get a hint of Velocity’s backstory via a
flashback to her childhood, and while that scene is pretty tasteless in how it
reduces domestic abuse in typical clichéd ways--all but screaming, “Look how
cool and edgy we are! Bang! Pow! Zap! Comics aren’t just for kids
anymore…”--there is one compelling element. It turns out that Velocity has an
older sister, and that older sister is strongly hinted to be Ballistic, the
leader the Cyberdata S.H.O.C. troops hunting down her younger sister in the
present day. It’s a nice twist, and it’s something to hold onto in this
swirling miasma of guns, angst and superpowered violence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Silvestri’s
art is what it is--big, flashy and etched with many, many lines. If you’re not
a fan of the early Image styles, then there’s nothing here that’s going to
change your mind. Silvestri does seem to have different influences than his
peers--while McFarlane, Liefeld and Lee were taking a heavy page from Art
Adams, Silvestri had more of horror sensibility, drawing more from influences
like Bernie Wrightson and Frank Frazetta. His designs for the Cyberforce
themselves is certainly in keeping with his peers, with no small amount of
ponytails, shoulder-pads, cybernetic eyes and, of course, wildly improbable
guns. Although I must say there is potential in the idea of a four-armed
gunslinger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ultimately,
like many of the other Image books, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyberforce</i>
didn’t manage to stick around like many of the classic Marvel and DC heroes.
Silvestri’s Top Cow Studios found greater success with horror-esque heroes like
Witchblade and The Darkness, and Cyberforce fell by the wayside. Like Wildcats
and Youngblood, they’re brought back every so often with a patented bold new
direction, but little of those takes seem to stick around for very long,
either. It appears some things are destined to exist as relics of a bygone era,
existing only within the cultural climate that birthed them.</span></div>
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<br />
<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-88576703669738839962018-05-25T05:00:00.000-07:002018-05-25T05:00:01.543-07:00Image Firsts: Shadowhawk #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVo9jjwF4rrj1qhlOqOVQ5a_svq13gyeTQcT-tBFBcleA8EvkZ8rkDsGB5MJjIrUlB3GKMB4oWes3JcKo20sBX_Ip2BwA3qWgiYIBcy49ENG7JwUStG78bhyt6cL3-Io-137BiQx0q_a6/s1600/5.+ShadowHawk+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVo9jjwF4rrj1qhlOqOVQ5a_svq13gyeTQcT-tBFBcleA8EvkZ8rkDsGB5MJjIrUlB3GKMB4oWes3JcKo20sBX_Ip2BwA3qWgiYIBcy49ENG7JwUStG78bhyt6cL3-Io-137BiQx0q_a6/s320/5.+ShadowHawk+%25231.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spine-breaking action in the “great” Image
tradition…</i></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Out of all the Image
founders, Jim Valentino was always the odd man out. He was a good deal older
than the rest, having spent more years in the trenches as a comic creator than
any other founding member. He didn’t have the name recognition of Lee,
McFarlane or Liefeld, with the biggest book he’d done at Marvel up to that
point being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians of the Galaxy </i>(decades
before the movie made them a household name). His art style was a complete 180
from the rest as well, inspired more by the traditional, unflashy styles
of the Silver and Bronze ages of comics and refined through his beginning days
on the indie comics scene. For all intents and purposes, Valentino’s art was
a square peg to the round hole that made up the majority of his peers in the
Image stable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So it is perfectly
understandable then that Valentino’s debut book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadowhawk</i> carries with it the same metaphor of mismatched shapes
clashing against each other, a Bronze Age superhero sensibility given
the ultraviolent, super-serious treatment that was Image Comics’ bread and
butter throughout those first few tumultuous years. Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Savage Dragon</i>
before it, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadowhawk </i>#1<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>does have the benefit of not having to
introduce the reader to twelve new heroes and villains--as a single character
title, that much more room can be devoted to setting up the world and the
supporting cast. It’s a shame, then, that not much of that is present here in
the first issue. We don’t learn anything about the title character other than
that he is bulletproof, and he likes to snap two-bit thugs’ spines. Valentino
tries to set up the mystery of Shadowhawk’s true identity (even holding a
“Guess Who Shadowhawk Is” contest in the letter column), but doesn’t really
engage the reader on an emotional level to want to discover who his title
character is. Shadowhawk comes off as little more than a violent psychopath--no
witty banter, no real sense of justice or a desire to help others, just a dude
in a fancy suit who likes to cripple other dudes at the slightest provocation.
As the various <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadowhawk </i>series’
went on, Valentino would stretch the concept out to be more than just the
ultraviolent, grim n’ gritty hero prevented here, giving comics its first
HIV-positive superhero and turning Shadowhawk from a simple armored vigilante
to a spirit of justice that moved from host to host throughout the years (not
unlike Matt Wagner’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grendel</i>). But
none of that is evident at the outset, and--at least as far as this first issue
goes--it’s cliché city from beginning to end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is different is Valentino’s
art, a breath of fresh air compared to his contemporaries. Valentino stays true
to basic human anatomy and prefers softer and fewer lines than the other Image
young bucks, what with their outrageous poses and endless scribbles of detail on
every corner of every page. Valentino’s layouts are clear and concise, and he
gives all his characters expressive faces that convey a wide range of
emotions--unlike some of the other Image books, in which the characters varied
from “angry” to “more angry.” Not to be outdone by his younger partners,
Valentino is also given to a double-page splash or two (the last one being a
vertical one, at that), but generally, the artist favors function over form,
which was almost in diametric opposition to the prevailing styles of the day.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shadowhawk</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
went on to star in a few more miniseries and even an ongoing or two, but--after
the initial sales spike afforded to all the Image books at the beginning--ultimately
never captured the zeitgeist in the way many of the other Image series did at
the time. But Valentino went on to craft well-regarded works like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Touch of Silver</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Drawing From Life </i>through his own Shadowline Studios, and more importantly,
served as Publisher of Image Comics from 1999-2003, where he diversified
Image’s output beyond run-of-the-mill superhero fare, leading to success
stories like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Powers </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Walking Dead</i>… which in turn helped
lead Image Comics to be the leading publisher for creator-owned comics in the marketplace. Not bad
for the odd man out of the original seven.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-9747447629534126882018-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:002018-05-24T12:20:43.214-07:00Image Firsts: WildC.A.T.s #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Totally not the X-Men…</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jim
Lee was the key. McFarlane and Liefeld each had record-breaking sales at Marvel
on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spider-man </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Force</i>, respectively, but Jim Lee was
the artist of the best-selling single issue of all time with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men</i> #1. He was the golden boy of
Marvel Comics and well-regarded amongst his peers and the comic industry as a
whole, and his decision to join his fellow Image artists and form their own
company was one of the deciding factors in the fledgling company’s success.
Building off of his title <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildcats </i>(technically
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WildC.A.T.s</i>, but there’s no way I’m
typing that out for the remainder of this review), he was able to establish
what arguably became Image’s most successful imprint in WildStorm comics, a
breeding ground for writers and artists who would later go on to even greater
heights of fame and success, with numerous titles such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Authority</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Planetary</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sleeper</i> going on to influence
just about every superhero comic book to come thereafter. Lee achieved his
initial success through his art, but proved to be an even greater talent when
it came to business; his current status as Co-publisher of DC Comics further
solidifies that he remains a powerful force within the comics scene.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of
course, all of that would come later, and this is a review of the issue that
basically acts as the first brick of the building that is Jim Lee’s current
career. Its historical significance is well-established, thus, the only
question remaining is… is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildcats </i>#1
any good as a comic book? Like many of its Image peers, this first issue is
something of a mixed bag. As a story, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildcats</i>
#1 at least accomplishes the basics of what is needed in a first issue, with a
bunch of intriguing ideas and concepts that would carry the book across four
volumes, and the whole line of WildStorm Universe books, in turn. Cheesiness
abounds, of course: there’s a bunch of corny one-liners during the superheroic
tussles, but that’s not a huge issue; honestly putting the books about on par
with Stan Lee and the generation of writers that followed in his wake during
the Silver and Bronze age. Jim Lee’s art also offers what is likely the best of
the “Image” style, with a lot of flash and detail, and also a proper (if not
indulgent) use of splash pages to provide the exclamation point to the big
moments of the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
problem here lies chiefly amongst the characterizations and the lack of clear
information in world-building. This is the first issue, of course, and so it
must be expected that there will be mysteries and plot-lines that will be
developed over time, but the story--at this point, at least--has yet to be
clearly defined, with a whole bunch of names and organizations tossed out
without so much as an “As you know…” infodump to catch the readers up to speed.
We get a fairly typical opening with a pair of research explorers stumbling
upon mysterious happenings in the Antarctic, an event which isn’t commented
upon again and seems to have no bearing on the subsequent story, other than
introducing the character of the Void and some vague “orb” she is seeking. We
are then introduced to Jacob Marlowe, a diminutive man who Jim Lee draws as a
bodybuilder who’s had leg reduction surgery. Marlowe is a pretty fascinating
character on the surface, a seeming immortal who was once homeless and is now
the head of a successful corporation, although he still likes to sleep in piles
of garbage from time to time. Of course, we don’t really get any more insight
into Marlowe other than his intriguing introduction, and the book is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildcats</i> and not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jacob Marlowe and his Wacky Super-Buds</i>. But other than Void (whose
primary function in the story is to allude to yet another vagary, this time a
future disaster), we don’t meet any of the other characters until over halfway
through the book. It takes us thirteen pages before we are introduced to team
leader Spartan, and the rest of the ‘Cats follow after that, with many of them
barely appearing on more than two pages. Considering that this is a team book,
it’s a serious problem. A reader would be hard pressed to name any of these
yahoos or even really describe what exactly their powers are, let alone any
hint of a personality. Even more problematic are the women characters… <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The concept of how
women are treated by society at large is something that is dominating the
current climate, and that makes it pretty hard for me to set it aside as a
“symptom of the times,” i.e., the nineties. The Image books we have looked at
thus far have not exactly been overflowing with quality women characters, with
the range of them going from scantily-clad to non-existent. The Covert Action
Teams have three female characters: the shiny Void (who does fare pretty well,
at least in comparison to the others), the warrior woman Zealot and the newbie
on the team, Voodoo. The Void more or less comes out looking okay, even if her
name is a shockingly apt description of what we know of her character so far.
More troublesome are the other two. Voodoo is the new team member, and thus
should have been the focus of the issue, since we would then discover the
fantastic world of the Covert Action Teams through her eyes, and learn about
the Kherubim-Daemonite conflict along with her so it doesn’t feel like blatant
exposition thrown at the reader for no reason other than simply explaining the
set-up mechanically. But the issue not only fails to deliver on that obvious
set-up, it makes matters even worse by introducing her through her profession.
An exotic dancer who learns she has superpowers has the potential to be an
interesting story, but we learn literally nothing else about Voodoo. She is
defined solely as a young woman who takes off her clothes for a bunch of
leering pervs, leaving the reader with the skeezy feeling that the character
was put into the story just so Jim Lee could draw double page splashes for her
to show some skin. As the final piece of the female character pie, the warrior
woman Zealot at least has something of a personality, introduced as she is
amongst the final few pages of the issue, but considering that the line used to
best describe her character is “sex and violence all rolled together with a bad
attitude,” it’s not a particularly good look coming so quickly after the
shameful exploitation of Voodoo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Overall,
not a terribly strong start for WildStorm. But Lee (and co-writer Brandon Choi) deserves credit for
introducing concepts that writers such as Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, Joe
Casey and Ed Brubaker would later use to revolutionize mainstream comics as a
whole, so for that, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildcats</i> #1
deserves a noted place in comic book history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-31186030792757155872018-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:002018-05-23T05:00:06.720-07:00Image Firsts: Savage Dragon #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceYENDYEAlj_4pqLTh18Odn4PzHQ1-u03GW3e3C4155ZoodQHpjd31ZVHk2haRIuKdTK395o1XVVMJYx_xyrU1mzwyTjeRe3BdOd8-daQZHA_QCd4n2Fi-WHwSOa4lHqpK2v5btc9BQc6/s1600/3.+Savage+Dragon+V1+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceYENDYEAlj_4pqLTh18Odn4PzHQ1-u03GW3e3C4155ZoodQHpjd31ZVHk2haRIuKdTK395o1XVVMJYx_xyrU1mzwyTjeRe3BdOd8-daQZHA_QCd4n2Fi-WHwSOa4lHqpK2v5btc9BQc6/s320/3.+Savage+Dragon+V1+%25231.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chicago’s fin-nest.</i></span></div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Out
of all the Image founders, the only one still writing and drawing their
original book is Erik Larsen on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Savage
Dragon</i>. There have been months, even years, where the book has taken a
break, but the fact remains: Larsen has written and drawn every issue, perhaps
the only Image creator who stayed true to their original intent of writing and
drawing whatever the hell they wanted, month in and month out. And over the
course of 200+ issues, Larsen has never been one to sit back and rest on his
laurels. Anything and everything can happen in this book, whether it’s sending
the main character into an alternate dystopia for a year-long storyline or
having his son become the lead of the title or showcasing Satan kneeing God in
the balls. This is Larsen’s playground, and thus becomes a platform to showcase
whatever it is that’s currently on his mind--filtered through a classic Marvel
comics sensibility of superheroes, monsters and never-ending stories. </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So,
with all that said, how does the original issue hold up? Pretty good, if not
rife with some growing pains that all the early Image books fell prey to. The
book opens with a splashy, violent super-fight, with villains in thongs and
ridiculously over-pointed knives for hands. This first issue is clearly playing
to the same crowd that the other books were, where guns, girls and grimness
were all the rage. But the difference in Larsen’s take is all in tone: whereas
the other Image founders’ books would border so heavily on self-seriousness
that they became almost parody, Larsen’s work is always pervaded with an
overall sense of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of this is
present in his art style, which has the characteristic over-muscled male heroes
and their equally top-heavy female counterparts, but all counter-balanced by
Larsen’s purposefully exaggerated, cartoony style.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Larsen’s
commitment to writing and drawing the same book for over twenty years all boils
down to creating a world in which he’s allowed to express and explore his
interests fully, and the versatility of his main character benefits the title
greatly. The Dragon is at once a monster, a superhero and a cop, and thus the
storytelling opportunities are filled with endless possibilities. He also has a
refreshingly blue-collar take on heroes. We don’t get many hints of who he is
this early on, as Larsen plays the “mysterious origins” card, with the Dragon
found in a burning field with no memory of who he was or what happened to him.
All of that would come later, but what we do get is the Dragon’s salt-of-the-earth
sensibilities; much like Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, you get the sense that the
Dragon would much rather be at home with a six-pack instead of out catching
super-freaks. Also like Hellboy, Larsen isn’t afraid to give his main character
a beating. In the first issue alone the Dragon gets shot up, cut up and blown
up, but considering he would go on to be impaled, have every bone in his body
broken and even die on more than one occasion, ol’ Finhead gets off pretty easy
here in his debut.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
a dangerous world that Larsen creates around his main hero, sort of like the
classic superhero universes of Marvel and DC, but where the classic heroes of
old are being taken out left and right, with the Dragon the only one tough enough to stand against the wave of super-crime flooding the streets. The characterizations are simplistic,
and Larsen still has a long way to go with his dialogue, but the framework for
a long-term superhero comic is laid out here in this first issue, with a whole
universe of concepts and characters for Larsen to draw on in the hundreds of issues to come. </span><br />
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<br /></div>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-40142829725671321632018-05-22T05:00:00.000-07:002018-05-22T05:00:06.226-07:00Image Firsts: Spawn #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHKTdCJC4-ruimMughviGv88sp4e90NeDrDzsf0vP38Ght_cusl7pCnP8T3PlyZ1u0IhAObbh4VvnFgU_ZAyRQGZdn5A67MPGyFNXg94TED2Gexgb1iKwoPhlN9f3qdoph_zVE80L_-3u/s1600/2.+Spawn+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1051" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHKTdCJC4-ruimMughviGv88sp4e90NeDrDzsf0vP38Ght_cusl7pCnP8T3PlyZ1u0IhAObbh4VvnFgU_ZAyRQGZdn5A67MPGyFNXg94TED2Gexgb1iKwoPhlN9f3qdoph_zVE80L_-3u/s320/2.+Spawn+%25231.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chains. Skulls. Spikes. “Voted one of the
ten sexiest men”?</i></span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
hard to create a superhero in the modern age that actually sticks in the
popular consciousness. A lot of that has to do with Marvel and DC owning all of
the classic icons, with the might of two mega-conglomerates behind them to make
sure that the market is positively saturated with their characters at all times.
A bit of it comes down to nearly every hero basically being just another
version of one of the original templates (demigod, billionaire playboy, etc.).
Due to decades of creative mistreatment within the comic book industry and an
overall stagnation within the audience, very few superhero characters created
in the last 20-30 years have been recipients to the same type of public
awareness that made a Batman or a Spider-man household names. But a precious
few have managed to make a go of it over the years: Mike Mignola’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hellboy</i>, Mark Millar and John Romita,
Jr’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kick-Ass</i>… and Todd McFarlane’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Okay,
so maybe Spawn doesn’t have the cache he once carried at the height of his
powers during the tumultuous decade that was the 1990’s comic book scene. But
there was a time when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i> lined the
toy aisles right next to Batman and the X-Men, when he had a major motion
picture released during the blockbuster summer season, and when he had a
critically-lauded, Emmy-winning HBO animated series before HBO shows were even
a thing people took seriously. For a very brief moment there, Spawn became just
as recognizable as Superman, Batman and Spider-man, and regularly outsold them
on comic stands when he made his debut. The second title from Image published
after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn </i>shattered that book’s record as
the best-selling independent comic of all time, with its 1.7 million looking
like a record that will stand as long as there is a comic book market. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
also remarkably better as a number one issue, although that’s maybe more a
criticism of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i>’s ineptitude
rather than any real mark of quality on the part of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i>. All of the hallmarks of the grim ’n’ gritty era are on
display, although not pushed to such a degree as you might be led to believe,
given <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i>’s reputation amongst
comic fans. To be sure, there is a fair amount of gritty violence, goth-infused
skulls and chains and the lead hero moping around in an alleyway, feeling sorry
for himself. But there is also a good deal of intrigue: for all the elements
that haven’t aged as well, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn </i>#1
does everything a number one issue should do. Namely, get you invested in its
main character and set up the world he occupies. The issue plays much of
Spawn’s origins close to the chest, keeping it a mystery to be revealed as the
series goes on, and is rather effective in creating a desire in the audience to
see just how Spawn’s fragmented memories fit together. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jim
Steranko, George Perez, Art Adams, and--most especially--Frank Miller…
McFarlane wears his influences on his sleeve, for better or for worse. The
issue starts with a pretty great series of pages, expertly laid out and
establishing the central mystery of the masked man with the forty-foot long
cape. Then, McFarlane ruins all that goodwill by devoting an entire page to a
news anchor infodump*, as three talking heads give us paragraphs of information
that stop the story dead right as it was just starting to ramp up. It really is
a buzzkill, a device so clearly inspired by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Dark Knight Returns</i> that McFarlane keeps falling back on again and again in
these early issues. Which is really a shame, as if you were to remove the news
anchor pages, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i> #1 would excel in
building the momentum required to get us invested in Spawn’s story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
for all the derivative elements, Spawn is still startlingly original in many
respects. One is the setting of the alleys; instead of a rich, white
billionaire who puts on a mask and proceeds to punch out lower income criminals
to protect other rich white people before retiring to his stately-manor with
his own butler at his beck and call, Spawn protected the homeless and made the
garbage-ridden, rat-infested alleyways his home. It admittedly took a while
before McFarlane would actually develop this into something substantial (and
with a little world-building help from Neil Gaiman), but the building blocks
are there in this first issue all the same. Also new and interesting: Spawn has
vast amounts of power, but can only use so much of it. A power meter runs
throughout this issue and the ones to follow, a clock that ticks down further
to zero as Spawn saps his energy and takes one step further to losing his soul
to Hell for good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
a premise that McFarlane would build into a bonafide franchise as it went on.
While his fellow Image founders like Jim Lee and Marc Silvestri went on to
establish robust superhero universes that supported a dozen titles at any given
month, McFarlane stuck mainly to his hellish hero, using the success of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn </i>to launch a successful toy company
and media empire. Sadly, this expanded business approach also seems to have
killed his career as a sequential artist. After the initial few years of the
series, McFarlane handed the reigns over to other artists, and has rarely
returned to providing full interior art for a comic book since. It’s a shame,
as there is a raw and unfettered energy to McFarlane’s approach here and the
other early issues, and it would have been great to see how much further he
could have pushed himself in terms of layout and design had he stuck to doing
the interiors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although its popularity
comes and goes with the winds of the unstable comic book market, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i> still comes out monthly, rapidly
making its way to 300 issues published continuously over a period of
twenty-five years. And if this new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spawn</i>
movie McFarlane keeps talking up actually comes to pass, you never know: maybe ol’
Hamburger-head will have a long-overdue return to the limelight. </span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">* Why would the funeral
of a covert government assassin receive such extensive coverage from three
major news markets, and be famous enough to make a “Top Ten Sexiest Men” list
in a magazine? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood </i>also
featured the oxymoronic portrayal of a covert special ops team that invariably held
celebrity status amongst the public at the same time. These Image guys seemed
to have a profound misunderstanding of how certain elements of the world work
in these early issues.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-5748349499027101822018-05-21T05:00:00.000-07:002018-05-21T05:00:04.827-07:00Image Firsts: Youngblood #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYffjX2CjZfSX0pzjFapgVxQUZfomruym1zOu3SqJerNfTFhd2PSvx9Sm1JNQhEkYjLMDNKSCbBd8PqiYPkWsn7bhB7xleaf2bGMotbfMdxMAnkKmH9-32sYhp3ArAbpDCY2gDnz_fEMU/s1600/1.+Youngblood+V1+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1518" data-original-width="1006" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYffjX2CjZfSX0pzjFapgVxQUZfomruym1zOu3SqJerNfTFhd2PSvx9Sm1JNQhEkYjLMDNKSCbBd8PqiYPkWsn7bhB7xleaf2bGMotbfMdxMAnkKmH9-32sYhp3ArAbpDCY2gDnz_fEMU/s320/1.+Youngblood+V1+%25231.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rob Liefeld single-handedly ends the Gulf
War.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
it comes to comic book artists, they don’t get much more divisive than the
inimitable Rob Liefeld. He is one of the top-selling creators of all time,
pulling numbers in the early nineties at Marvel and later at Image that the
industry will likely never see again. And yet, a whole contingent of fans and
critics are quick to denounce him as perhaps the worst artist in the business,
citing his abnormal anatomy, wonky perspective and reluctance to draw feet as
chief offenses against the comic book page. Liefeld was the poster-child for
Image Comics when it first started, typifying the “comic book artist as rock star”
with his talk show appearances and Levi’s commercials directed by Spike Lee.
His style was flashy and big, emphasizing action and splash pages over any form
of subtlety or even basic storytelling. His own <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood </i>was the first title out of the gate, and is perfectly
representative of the style-over-substance argument that pervaded the early
Image years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
should first get this out of the way: Liefeld is not the worst artist to have
ever worked in comics. In fact, early on, the sheer energy of his work--while
still rough around the edges--showed great promise. Even in the absolute
trainwreck that is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i> #1, the
effect of his images is undeniably snappy, as if the characters could leap off
the page as they grimace and pose with their shoulder pads, pouches and
unbelievably-proportioned weapons. It was later that Liefeld would produce the
work for which he is most parodied, as his style atrophied and he leaned
further into grotesque anatomies and general laziness in draftsmanship, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood </i>#1 at least shows why his
work caused such a frenzy when he burst onto the scene with breakout titles
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Mutants</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Force</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
as energetic as early Liefeld’s lines could be, that’s where all the nice
things I have to say about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood </i>#1
end. The comic is truly inept in almost every way, and the fact that it sold
over a million copies upon initial release pretty much proves its success is
owed almost entirely to the speculator boom that overtook the comics market at
the time; no one was buying copies to read the damn things, but rather seal
them away in a Mylar polybag and await the day that it would pay for their
kid’s college tuition (nobody seemed to stop and think that, if there are a
million copies floating around, it can only be worth so much). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i> does not bother with things
such as story, character or even logic. It could almost be viewed as a piece of
avant-garde cartooning, if any of it held the slightest bit of interest in
things other than people in tights punching each other. Without any editorial
oversight, Liefeld is free to lean into his worst tendencies as a storyteller,
favoring action and one-liners over any coherent through-line to focus on.
Bafflingly, the comic is split into two different stories, each featuring a
separate squad of the Youngblood group (the “Home” and “Away” teams,
respectively*). Both teams have six characters apiece--that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">twelve</i> heroes to introduce in about
twelve pages of both stories, entirely too many in a book that is totally
uninterested in displaying even the slightest hints of personality to
differentiate them. Reading the book is almost an exercise in believing that
anyone looked this over and said, “Yep. Good enough,” before sending it off to
the printers to have a million copies made. The “Home” team story doesn’t even
end properly, as the team assembles to stop a prison-break of super-villains
and seems to just stop in the middle of the scene--almost like Liefeld realized
he was running out of pages and then just decided to end it with a double-page splash.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In that way, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i> #1 almost defies typical
criticism. The story and characters are such non-entities that it’s hard to get
too worked up about it one way or the other. There was a profound lack of care
on the creators’ part, and thus that lack of caring extends to the reader. But,
beyond what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood</i> #1 is as a
comic in and of itself, the issue’s true value (50 cents in your local shop’s
dollar bin) lies in the symbolic sense. Image Comics’ central
achievement--creating a company where creators retain all the rights to their
original creations, unimpeded by the corporate structure--wound up being one of
the defining moments in comics history, and a major blow against the
establishment in regards to creators’ rights. For what came after it, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood </i>#1 is one of the singularly
most important issues in all of comic-dom, the opening shot fired across the bow that
kickstarted a company that thrives even to this day, continually producing the
best comic books on the market and allowing their creators to reap the benefits
by retaining all rights and ownership.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In other words,
allowing them to make a comic as terrible as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Youngblood </i>#1 and still become a millionaire overnight because of
it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">* In a show of just how
little attention was paid to the proceedings, two characters (Combat and
Photon) appear on the cover and “roll call” pages, but appear to have been
swapped out from each team on the interior story pages at the last minute.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-72313755587574297172018-04-28T11:11:00.000-07:002018-04-28T19:45:10.208-07:00Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnS6uBy8x1Dlvj19NsAB5nnrdNDpVLo8JSGZ7XlrAYaiBzBc7oVMHhC5VtER_dQyd8RWlye-042hIRo0u7licQDQ5GhQHfZRfR-fkRFK3oU83E9iwdM6pGyiFTTOWDzPLwkE-E5pvN18S/s1600/avengers-infinity-war-poster-1093756.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnS6uBy8x1Dlvj19NsAB5nnrdNDpVLo8JSGZ7XlrAYaiBzBc7oVMHhC5VtER_dQyd8RWlye-042hIRo0u7licQDQ5GhQHfZRfR-fkRFK3oU83E9iwdM6pGyiFTTOWDzPLwkE-E5pvN18S/s320/avengers-infinity-war-poster-1093756.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It’s
time to court death.</span></i><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gonna be hard to talk about this one
without SPOILERS…</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
year was 1995, and I was nine years old. I had just dropped a dollar and change
on a copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i> #323, and was
completely baffled by the inside contents. It opened with Iron Man fighting
another superhero called Hawkeye, who had a bunch of specialized trick arrows
he shot from his trusty bow. To top that off, both he and Iron Man belonged to
an entire team of superheroes called the Avengers, with names just as catchy:
Black Widow. The Vision. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Each of them
introduced in a passing, trivial way, with no hint of how they all met, what
their powers were or even what team members Iron Man and Hawkeye were fighting
about in the first place. The reader was dropped right into the middle of an
ongoing story, and the comic wasn’t about to stop its momentum to play catch-up
for those not in the know. There were fistfights and plot twists and villainous
reveals to get to, after all. In spite of being thoroughly confused, I didn’t
toss the comic to the other side of the room, frustrated at the amount of
characters I didn’t know or at my ignorance of the ongoing plot that I had been
unceremoniously dumped right in the middle of. Instead, I was intrigued. Here,
in the palm of my nine-year-old hands, I held an entire universe, one that I
could visit any time I wanted to just by opening the cover and flipping the
pages. When I got to the last page and it was revealed that Iron Man/Tony Stark
had previously murdered another Avenger in cold blood and was charging up his
repulsor rays to blast the rest of his unsuspecting team-mates, I was hooked.
Needless to say, it was all a ruse--turns out Iron Man was under the influence
of some supervillain or other--but by that point, it didn’t matter. I had to
learn more about this crazy world and the colorful characters that inhabited
it. I had to learn their names, their powers, their histories. Most
importantly, I had to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know what happens
next</i>. And I don’t think any superhero movie has quite captured that feeling
I had as nine-year-old kid holding a comic book in his hands as successfully as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers: Infinity War</i> does.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers</i> came the closest before, what
with its medium-defying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cojones</i> in
combining disparate heroes from their own, singular franchises into one colossal
team-up, resulting in a final, near-forty minute long set-piece that previously
had only been accomplished on the comic book page. Each successive offering
from Marvel Studios has built upon and expanded that world to encompass the
furthest reaches of the galaxy to the microscopic infinities contained within
the subatomic level, allowing for characters to interweave between each other’s
movies like old friends getting together for a drink. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain America: Civil War </i>provided another benchmark for the universe,
packing in more superheroes than all the previous movies combined and giving
them all something to do, each with an arc all unto themselves… a stunning
piece of narrative economy on the part of screenwriters Chistopher Markus and
Stephen McFeely and directors Joe and Anthony Russo that was as viscerally
thrilling as it was emotional and thought-provoking. Now, with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity War</i>, the same team turns their
eye to the entire universe, bringing the Avengers face-to-face with the
Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man and the entire sovereign
nation of Wakanda in as little as two hours and thirty-plus minutes. That’s
over twenty heroes to service in a single film, and while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity War</i> is undeniably overstuffed and overwrought, it never
once feels that the narrative is going to crack under the tremendous strain.
The filmmakers achieve this in part by keeping a singular focus, by having all
the action revolve around one character. In short, in a movie featuring a
literal army of superheroes, they make the protagonist the villain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of all the cinematic
feats pulled off here, perhaps the most impressive is the characterization of the mad titan
Thanos. First introduced in that now-legendary mid-credits scene from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Avengers</i>, the giant CG purple guy
has gone on to be the shadowy menace lurking in the background of many a Phase
Two and Phase Three films, always sitting on his floating chair, doing very
little to warrant the fear he engenders whenever spoken of in hushed tones. To say
that dropped the ball in setting up Thanos as a serious threat in his previous
appearances is certainly an understatement, but it appears that they were saving
it up for a film of his very own. As he is portrayed in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity War</i>, Thanos is a remarkable creation--Josh Brolin and the
legion of animators bringing his performance to life give us not only Marvel’s
most compelling villain to date, but perhaps its most compelling character
overall. Thanos was always one of the best villains in the Marvel Comics
stable, a petulant demigod in love with the literal embodiment of Death, who
was willing to annihilate half of all life in the universe to prove that love.
The movie version takes a slightly different tact: here, Thanos is the
unwilling hero of his own story, taking a look at the vast overpopulation of
the universe and the dwindling resources available and deciding the only course
of action is to rebalance the scales by committing mass genocide on a universal
scale. What’s most insightful on the part of the filmmakers and Brolin’s
performance is that Thanos takes no joy in his actions--he sees them as
horrible acts that must be carried out in order to bring true peace back to the
universe. He doesn’t carve his way across the galaxies to acquire all six
Infinity Gems (as a longtime comic book reader, it’s still hard for me to call
them Infinity Stones as opposed to Gems) and become the most powerful being in
existence because he’s a tyrant in search of more power. Thanos sees himself as
the only figure willing to do the dirty work to achieve what he feels is the
only solution to a growing problem--the sacrifice of others (and his own soul,
ultimately) to benefit the rest of all sentient life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That theme of sacrifice
has been key throughout all the MCU films released thus far, that question of how
far the heroes must go to protect those around them. Skinny Steve Rogers
jumping on the dummy grenade to save his fellow trainees. Thor offering his
mortal life by standing up to the Destroyer. Tony Stark traveling through the
wormhole with a nuclear missile, the ultimate in self-serving ego making the
choice to give up his life to save everyone else. It’s been a constant dialogue
the films engage with their characters, and here it reaches a culmination of
sorts, as the characters who get the most focus in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity War</i> are faced with dilemmas that pit the lives of their
loved ones over everyone else in the universe. Perhaps the most pleasant
surprise of the movie is the expanded role of Gamora, portrayed once again with
fiery seal by Zoe Saldana, whose own complicated relationship with Thanos is
perhaps the film’s most interesting pairing. It’s through Gamora that we see
Thanos is not just the mad zealot he appears to be on the surface, but rather a
complex figure of profound depth and endless contradictions, perhaps best
exemplified in the scene where Thanos takes Gamora to the planet Vormir to
retrieve the Soul Stone. To do that, however, requires him to give up that
which he loves most. Gamora is instantly vindicated, thinking that Thanos’
quest is finally at an end, because he loves nothing and thus has nothing to
give up, but it turns out to not be so simple as all that. Thanos truly loves
Gamora, and is willing to sacrifice her to acquire the Stone. Time and time
again the characters are presented with the opportunity to either stop Thanos
or save/avenge their loved ones, and each time our heroes act in the “selfish”
manner and choose the latter… but not Thanos. As the “hero” of this story, he’s
the only one willing to go the extra mile and put what he thinks of as the needs
of the universe against the needs of himself. Considering that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity War </i>ends with him accomplishing
his ultimate goal and walking away victorious in the end, it will be profoundly
interesting to see how this is followed up on in the next<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Avengers</i> film, as the surviving heroes grapple with the ultimate
answer to the debate of what’s more important, sacrifice or salvation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Aside from all of that,
the film is an utter blast from beginning to end, capturing the thrill of the
best comics and transplanting them on-screen via the finest in cutting-edge
VFX. Like that issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i> I
read as a nine-year-old, the film never stops to explain who all these heroes
are as each makes their introduction, having the confidence to merely let them
be in this crazy fictional universe of boundless imagination and unlimited
possibilities. That was what was great about the Marvel universe as it existed
on paper in its four-colored, window-paneled world: wherever you were,
something fantastic was happening just around the corner. Visit New York, and
you’re likely to catch a glimpse of Spider-Man swinging through the buildings,
or Iron Man jetting across the sky. Just down the street in Greenwich Village
lived the Sorcerer Supreme in his Sanctum Sanctorum, a portal to the world of
magic and mystery housed in a simple brownstone. A living, breathing world that
was just as vivid and defined and--quite frankly--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i> as our own, and now it exists fully in that magic alchemical
blend of light and sound that we call motion pictures--its reality made to feel
more real than ever by being brought to life by talented actors and film
artisans working at the height of their craft. I can’t get over how good the
little details are, like the introductory shot of Spider-Man, a rack focus from
the hairs standing up on his arm to Tom Holland’s face. Or how Thor continually
refers to Rocket Raccoon as “Rabbit.” Or the delightful sparks that fly when
Tony Stark and Dr. Strange find themselves in a room together. Or Captain
America and Black Panther fighting side-by-side in the fields of Wakanda, each
of their movements complementing the other’s. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In the end, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers:
Infinity War </i>returns me to the state of mind I had reading that copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i> #323 that I pulled off the
spinner rack at the local Waldenbooks all those years ago. And I’m not talking
about simple nostalgia here, some misbegotten sugar rush of a feeling born out
of a longing for a simpler time, but a feeling far more primal and raw. A feeling
that is not merely juvenile, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">essential</i>--the
sheer power of imagination, one of the greatest tools we have in the human
arsenal. Do we accept the limits of our own reality as we currently perceive them,
or dare to imagine a better one? Do we become Thanos and see every problem that
plagues us as a nail that must be hammered, or do we strive to both do and be
something better? I don’t know if the answer will come directly from a
genocidal purple titan or an android finding love with a human woman or a
smart-ass, talking raccoon, but they just might be the spark that lights the
fires of imaginations for generations to come.</span><br />
<br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-26560330391810195342018-03-01T06:21:00.001-08:002018-03-01T06:23:11.692-08:00The Mummy's Hand At The Center of the Universe Available NOW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtaHHz_8PrmMrYiFeS8c3etHncZg24L1COoTgjI9kG8tXXsaKhPgtYHTMTad2Z67AyifXrg3Ld546OlIChk6gnInFPYgcOeyiLLpU_ef28p_x2v4KiIkymT23N42mFFzvpOuwuy8cxsCc/s1600/MummyHand-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtaHHz_8PrmMrYiFeS8c3etHncZg24L1COoTgjI9kG8tXXsaKhPgtYHTMTad2Z67AyifXrg3Ld546OlIChk6gnInFPYgcOeyiLLpU_ef28p_x2v4KiIkymT23N42mFFzvpOuwuy8cxsCc/s320/MummyHand-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm very excited to announce that "The Mummy's Hand At The Center of the Universe" is now available via Pro Se Press' Single Shot Signature line. From the official press release:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NEW SINGLE SHOT SIGNATURE RELEASE-</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">‘THE MUMMY’S HAND AT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE’ FOR 99 CENTS</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A hand can be a terrifying thing. A wielder of
weapons, a weapon itself, or the final reminder of a last goodbye. But that
appendage becomes even more horrific when it belongs to a long dead corpse known
to have dabbled in the occult in his life before being mummified. And now…the
mummy wants his hand back.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Author Nathan Cabaniss mixes hints of horror
with action and adventure and even a touch of humor to craft the perfect Pulp
blend in </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE MUMMY’S HAND AT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">, a Single Shot Signature release from Pro Se
Productions.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With a cosmic cover and logo design by Marzia Marina and
Antonino Lo Iacono, THE MUMMY’S HAND AT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE is available
now for the Kindle on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4NCT83/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519870493&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mummy%27s+hand+at+the+center">here</a>
and Pro Se’s own store at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.prose-press.com%252F%26h%3D3AQERprf5AQGd4FkBS-UiX1JUf-MJia3aKQj1sVzWHPFdPA%26enc%3DAZO7sd7__mpGoOPCuXcwuaO4P4qaXNH9aKr5Rxkl-cMt25aL-BKCIFCuGmnYy9lOyJBnxJkBPpf1dBIHlWZDqyQP5uRpVKv4hKFqsgTrnxbHOkqqAzyrHH1FAftwxm_HyRXYfcz&source=gmail&ust=1519999226171000&usg=AFQjCNHHipijQX0NVmuP9A1OwyKeHLhIlQ" href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prose-press.com%2F&h=3AQERprf5AQGd4FkBS-UiX1JUf-MJia3aKQj1sVzWHPFdPA&enc=AZO7sd7__mpGoOPCuXcwuaO4P4qaXNH9aKr5Rxkl-cMt25aL-BKCIFCuGmnYy9lOyJBnxJkBPpf1dBIHlWZDqyQP5uRpVKv4hKFqsgTrnxbHOkqqAzyrHH1FAftwxm_HyRXYfcz" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none;">www.prose-press.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> for 99 cents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I've been a fan of Pro Se's output for some time now, and am quite honored to be included alongside so many other writers whose work I admire. This story is quite a doozy, involving time travel, Lovecraftian horror, dinosaurs... and yes, a vengeful mummy on the trail of his missing hand. All that for less than the price of a candy bar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Order your copy today!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-48348184263315685512017-12-19T01:08:00.002-08:002017-12-26T18:50:23.397-08:00Movie Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8H9XS1t_ADMccyryKZH5rF5DLQJqwts7OV5DsBbecWWowtHAFGn81z_yF5h5Ni7pOJ8uYEU6xlb2Dcj3T-iL0Zp6wxeXuWlEGhc7yi6GZb0A_AFS13sGt3b8h6BZ7zmi8GC97HLDHFrl/s1600/last_jedi_again_1200_1778_s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8H9XS1t_ADMccyryKZH5rF5DLQJqwts7OV5DsBbecWWowtHAFGn81z_yF5h5Ni7pOJ8uYEU6xlb2Dcj3T-iL0Zp6wxeXuWlEGhc7yi6GZb0A_AFS13sGt3b8h6BZ7zmi8GC97HLDHFrl/s320/last_jedi_again_1200_1778_s.png" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SPOILERS. You’ve been warned.</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a> It’s
not about destroying what you hate, a character says late into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i>, it’s about saving what
you love. In dealing in the simplistic, good vs. evil morality fables that
series such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>trade in,
you essentially have those two tracks to choose from. All the adventure, danger
and excitement required by the genre means there’s always an external threat
that must be overcome, and our heroes generally have two options: destroy their
enemies, or save the things they hold dear. Deal with the evil in their worlds
either in physical or psychological terms… or perhaps, even spiritual. With
that in mind, it’s to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>series’
credit that--from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empire Strikes Back</i>--it
generally features its heroes saving the day by overcoming their inner demons
just as much as by blowing something up. And with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i>, the series reaches its most spiritual conflict yet,
to the point where one of the main characters forgoes physical conflict
altogether in the climactic battle scene by literally transmitting his spirit
across the galaxy to allow his comrades the chance to escape. The choices the
characters make are integral to this latest installment in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> saga, whether they’re choices
made in the past that tear lives apart or ones made in the present that heal
old wounds. The central conceit of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Jedi </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is that there is no “chosen
one” appointed by destiny, but rather that the heroes and villains must choose
for themselves what direction the course of their lives must take next.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Force Awakens</i> was a giant question
mark, then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i> is the giant
answer… although not in the way most audiences will expect, or even want, as
recent fan reactions will attest. Writer/director Rian Johnson subverts
expectations at every turn, throwing out the Reddit speculation-ready mysteries
of the first film in favor of well-oiled story and character mechanics. It is
the ultimate expression of function over form: just to name one example, it
doesn’t matter who Rey’s parents are, it matters who Rey is as a character and
why we should give a damn about her without having to make her the daughter of
Luke or Obi-Wan or Jar-Jar Binks. Johnson fills his movie with such touches,
building off the excellent new characters introduced in the previous film but
disregarding the empty, mystery box shenanigans. This has already caused quite
the uproar, but here’s the thing: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Wars </i>has always been about subverting expectations, whether it was framing
a grand adventure through the viewpoint of the lowest social caste, having the
damsel in distress be more capable than the heroes sent to rescue her or, you
know, revealing that the father of our main hero was the big bad himself. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi </i>leans harder into the subversions
that any film before it, but the precedent has always been there.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aside
from all the clever twists, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi
</i>is still an astonishing piece of film craft in and of itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he burst onto the scene with 2006’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brick</i>, Johnson has been one of our most
inventive visualists--not in a heavily-stylized, Zack Snyder type of way, mind
you, but rather in the boldness of his compositions and edits. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>has always had its own visual
language, but while Johnson keeps true to that very specific, Republic
Serial-by-way-of-Kurosawa feel, he also finds ways to expand the language in
exciting and bold new directions. A chief example is the death of Resistance
bomber Paige Tico in the opening starship battle, perhaps the most thrilling
sequence in a Star Wars movie since the trench run from the ’77
original. It’s a scene that is up there with the best of Spielberg in how it
builds tension through an escalating series of actions. Such virtuoso scenes
are peppered throughout the film, each one existing not as a showy,
look-what-we-can-do set-piece, but rather an integral part of the larger
whole.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even
more importantly, Johnson takes the opportunity presented by the middle part of
a larger trilogy and makes some pretty bold choices about the galaxy far, far
away. If <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Force Awakens</i> posed the
question, “Who is Luke Skywalker?” then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Jedi</i> provides a definitive answer… one that many fans are already
pulling their hair out over. The Chosen One of the previous trilogy has now chosen
exile, keeping to himself at a Jedi shrine while the galaxy (and more
specifically, his own family) is in turmoil. We finally learn what happened all
those years ago that turned Ben Solo to Kylo Ren, as Luke foresaw the darkness
building in his nephew and found himself at a very literal interpretation of
the age-old question, “If you had the opportunity to kill Adolf Hitler when he
was a child, would you do it?” Luke is tempted, and although he ultimately
relents at the last moment, it still leaves a mark on young Ben Solo, which
ironically pushes him towards the dark side. It’s a perfectly-realized
situation that provides an understandable motivation for both Luke and Kylo,
with each side of the story revealed via conflicting flashbacks not unlike the
unforgettable treatise on memory in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rashomon</i>.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mark
Hamill turns in what might be the performance of his career here as the elder
Luke, a hero who is left embittered by failing to live up to the impossible standard
that’s been placed upon him as the titular “Last Jedi.” It may be maddening to
some, but this is truly the most interesting direction the character could have
taken, and only speaks further to the central theme that heroism isn’t
something naturally bestowed by bloodline or special powers alone, but rather comes from
the choices that are made on a day-to-day basis. It also allows Rey the chance
to step up to the plate and shine as the beating heart and soul of this new
trilogy, as the Force-adept orphan must convince Luke to rejoin the fight and
help her hone her newfound abilities. Daisy Ridley was quite the find in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TFA</i>, and she continues to astonish in
the shades she finds within Rey, whose character is deepened significantly in
this new film. Rey establishes a mysterious connection with Kylo Ren as she
begins her tutelage under Luke, a relationship that starts with seething hatred
at Kylo’s callous murder of Han Solo before she finds empathy for him after learning
his tragic backstory. She eventually sees the wounded, conflicted Ben Solo
beneath the monstrous mask of Kylo Ren, and believes that he can still be
turned from the dark side like uncle turned his grandfather. The relationship
that develops between the two provides the film with its most
thrillingly-subversive moments, and I can’t wait to see how it will continue to
play out in the next episode.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
second of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Las Jedi</i>’s three story-lines
involves the last returning member of the Holy Trinity of the original
series in Carrie Fisher, portraying the princess-turned-general Leia Organa
for the last time. It stings a bit to see her on-screen, if only because she’s
so good throughout. Much like Hamill, this is some real, career-best stuff on
display, with Fisher throwing out the awkwardness that was sometimes present
in the last film (mostly due to the script) and returning Leia to a hard-nosed,
sassy-yet-elegant rebel leader. This Leia has seen and lived through it all,
and now is shouldered with even more responsibility following the annihilation
of the New Republic by the First Order. Leia is removed from the bulk of the
story following an early attack (which results in a great reveal that is
already dividing fans on how seriously they can take their magical space
fantasy), one that places the First Order and the remnants of the Resistance in
something of a stale-mate. With Leia out of commission, the leadership of the
Resistance falls on newcomer Holdo, played by the incomparable Laura Dern (who,
between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big Little Lies</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twin Peaks</i> and this, is having a helluva
year). Holdo immediately clashes with Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, and finally
this character gets an arc gives Oscar Isaac something to dig his teeth into. He
got by last time through the sheer strength of Isaac’s charisma, but here we
get to see him learn the error of his hotshot pilot ways when he comes into
conflict with both Leia and Holdo over how to handle the Resistance’s current,
precarious situation. To reference the line that opens this review, Poe gets too
caught up in destroying the enemy as opposed to preserving what remains of the
Republic.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Which
brings us to the third storyline making up the rest of the film, that involves
Poe sending ex-stormtrooper Finn with newcomer Rose to the casino
city of Canto Bight to find a “master codebreaker” that will help the
Resistance escape from the First Order. This story thread has proven to be most
divisive amongst viewers, mainly for the bait-and-switch it ultimately pulls.
Finn and Rose’s trip to Canto Bight goes horribly wrong from the start, and the
two have to pass over the master codebreaker they were sent to retrieve in favor
of Benicio Del Toro’s stuttering rogue, DJ. The three then rush back and
infiltrate the First Order, keeping to Star Wars tradition by disguising
themselves on-board the enemy mothership… and immediately get captured, preventing
them from enacting the plan they spent the last forty-odd minutes trying to
carry out. I myself am of two minds about it. On the one hand, it really doesn’t
advance the plot in any kind of significant story way. But on the other hand,
that’s kind of the point: failure is another central theme to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i>, and the ultimate failure of
Finn and Poe’s plan serves the movie not in terms of plot, but rather
character. Through his journey to Canto Bight and beyond, Finn decides just
what kind of hero he’s going to be. Confronted by the aristocracy that profits
from the constant star-warring across the galaxy, and meeting up with the
opportunistic DJ, Finn sees how things could go very wrong for him if he doesn’t
decide who he’s going to be and what he wants to stand for in the larger
universe he occupies… all of it capably portrayed by John Boyega, who continues
to be a capital “M” Movie Star, igniting the screen any time he’s on it.
Special mention must also be made of Kellie Marie Tran’s Rose, a character we’ve
never really seen given a major role in the series. Tran is yet another
remarkable find, and shares a wonderful chemistry with Boyega.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the
whole, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi </i>is a movie
designed to provoke a reaction in its audience, at once a loving embrace of
what came before but also a bold push forward into new territory, reconfiguring
the classical mythologizing of the old series into something unafraid to point
out their inherent flaws and build something better and more inclusive for
current and future generations.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-35931813150911821322017-12-06T12:40:00.003-08:002017-12-08T12:13:33.784-08:00Tales of the Shadowmen 14: Coup de Grace Available NOW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS6cXCPtqb8v1bOXcnCsRaMdBKyGYdPlCgMumDWQ078755hT0feXOUg4_eWZm1m9812tKwNNt8vievuTAgoR3ZUgVw14sHu5ci3vy22ahRx1SNNKQBrnBXhXFjUdqneBg4s-I9p5yXFcG/s1600/talesshadowmen1401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS6cXCPtqb8v1bOXcnCsRaMdBKyGYdPlCgMumDWQ078755hT0feXOUg4_eWZm1m9812tKwNNt8vievuTAgoR3ZUgVw14sHu5ci3vy22ahRx1SNNKQBrnBXhXFjUdqneBg4s-I9p5yXFcG/s320/talesshadowmen1401.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
My contribution to this years <i>Tales of the Shadowmen </i>is a little bit different, as it's not a pulp hero of old or obscure horror film character taking the lead, but rather a real-life figure from history. My story "Hero of Two Worlds" finds the Marquis de Lafayette in his twilight years, crossing the Atlantic to celebrate America's fiftieth anniversary for a grand tour of the country he helped liberate. Being a <i>Shadowmen</i> story, it isn't long before something extraordinary happens, as Lafayette finds himself transported to Mars in a younger body, and eventually runs afoul of certain four-armed, green-skinned creatures that are fond of swords and other sharp-edged weapons. Lafayette was one of those real-life characters whose story would have never been believed had it first appeared in a novel, and getting a chance to play around with his "hero of two worlds" nickname was a hoot and a half.<br />
<br />
In addition to all of that, you get well over a dozen other stories, with authors both new and familiar excavating the most popular (and most obscure) areas of world fiction to bring heroes and villains alike to blows, in the spectacular fashion one has come to expect within the <i>TOTS</i> pages and from the fine folks at Black Coat Press.<br />
<br />
Click on over <a href="http://blackcoatpress.com/new-releases-december-2017-tales-of-the-shadowmen-14-coup-de-grace.html#e818db660a29f0696e4b716c2e4f9f99">here</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Shadowmen-14-Coup-Grace/dp/1612276962/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1512519923&sr=8-2&keywords=tales+of+the+shadowmen">here</a><i> </i>to order your copy today!<br />
<br />
<i></i>Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-43128904096923300812017-11-04T13:01:00.000-07:002017-11-04T13:01:46.415-07:00Best of the MCU: Revised and Expanded<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Mr. Stark, you’ve just become a part of a
larger universe…”</i></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
still hard to believe that it actually happened even now, five years after its
initial release, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Avengers</i>
came and went without a hitch. The dreams of comic fans everywhere that once
seemed impossible due to licensing issues and the curmudgeonly beast that is
Hollywood actually came true: Marvel Studios produced their own films in their
own way, setting up each character on their own before finally bringing them
all together. The financial success of this endeavor was perhaps not as much of
a surprise as it was the quality of the films themselves, which lived up to
expectations and (aside from a minor bump or two) took flight onscreen without
being tied down by the restrictions of multi-million dollar filmmaking. Iron
Man, Thor, Captain America and the rest all shared the screen, and the
possibilities thereafter seemed limitless. There was no end to Marvel’s scope
and ambition, to the point where they’ve established a dominance in the
cultural conversation and shown everyone else in town playing the same game how
it was done. But more importantly, much like Marvel Comics when it burst onto
the scene in the sixties, their cinematic equivalent understands that the most
important part of the process is the characters whose names adorn the titles.
No matter how big and unwieldy they get, Marvel Studios still holds tight to
the principle that started it all with the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. in the
first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i>: everything must flow
from character. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">16. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man 2</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9aGpqasLVI_ZojFxKaQ2wM5g0-zgip8hqwqQGi0cWsvL8u31_6vmfEkrYkBi9AOrHJ_gI9eXbz40q2zNEiAqFOWs2rRPDEY-RycM343QKtKRz4M6kJpUmWk33VmMMB_QaDwnNbTEQyqV/s1600/s_1228705_53bd3f1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9aGpqasLVI_ZojFxKaQ2wM5g0-zgip8hqwqQGi0cWsvL8u31_6vmfEkrYkBi9AOrHJ_gI9eXbz40q2zNEiAqFOWs2rRPDEY-RycM343QKtKRz4M6kJpUmWk33VmMMB_QaDwnNbTEQyqV/s1600/s_1228705_53bd3f1a.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
been seven years since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man 2</i>
came out, and Marvel Studios has thankfully yet to make a worse movie. Let’s
hope this is as bad as it gets, a rush-job sequel that seemed more concerned
with setting up future movies rather than telling a story of its own. Nearly
everyone we loved from the first film returns here for the follow-up, but seem
to forget what made <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man </i>so
enjoyable. The witty banter between Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey, Jr. is
replaced by actors waging a battle of improvisation to see who can be more zany
and manic than the other. The whole movie plays with such half-hearted beats,
with newcomers Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke either over-acting or putting
forth as little effort as possible. I guess you could say that the action
scenes are much-improved, but with only three throughout the films two-hour
run-time, it makes for an oddly-paced, exposition-heavy experience that
hopefully will remain at the bottom of all future “Best of the MCU” lists. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">15. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7oysAyui6DMBUOx_ZsxnuZq9fwl2FkTLGbQrxW2RYjjNB_qps_wk833lgIqcryQZ_x7Yadj-pPAeHjC6j-MHXd3fBD4lVkn2gXLOsl0dA-53A9MCDguQY7pxTYdImyaeQjxncHY5MtrL/s1600/thor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7oysAyui6DMBUOx_ZsxnuZq9fwl2FkTLGbQrxW2RYjjNB_qps_wk833lgIqcryQZ_x7Yadj-pPAeHjC6j-MHXd3fBD4lVkn2gXLOsl0dA-53A9MCDguQY7pxTYdImyaeQjxncHY5MtrL/s320/thor.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor</i> is a deceptive movie, one that
might trick you into thinking it’s good. But make no mistake: this<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is a bad movie, and thankfully the only
other Marvel Studios film to which that label can be applied. One thing that
the film does get right (and the primary reason it gets a pass from most) is
the charming cast, from the pitch-perfect leads in Chris Hemsworth and Tom
Hiddleston all the way down to the comedic relief provided by Ray Stevenson and
Kat Dennings. But everything else in the film is so inept, it’s a miracle the
final product is even anything closely resembling a film in the first place. It
all goes back to the script, which shoehorns in disparate elements like SHIELD
and Hawkeye with all the Asgardian business, and follows the most trite of all
possible avenues that this type of “brash hero learning humility” story could
follow. And while Kenneth Branagh was in keeping with the studio’s tradition of
hiring interesting, out-of-left-field choices, he just isn’t up to the task of
handling these effects-laden blockbusters, with one unconvincing, dull CGI
set-piece after another. But still, credit where credit’s due: Branagh and
Marvel struck gold with Hemsworth and Hiddleston, and the subsequent films
wouldn’t work nearly as well without that solid foundation to build upon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">14. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Incredible Hulk</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUlnjvxSnzgm12Ydbxydbx0BqiZy8vG35T2lTgrkh-VfWQLPwM6yAmBreLZLs9CRqB8ZsYa5nqp9GS6vRs8nNCIbs_BtYL0WV7LO3XYS3PyrpO0T6n7Rol_ojC2VPoVukfK0lpCf7uSU2/s1600/incredible_hulk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUlnjvxSnzgm12Ydbxydbx0BqiZy8vG35T2lTgrkh-VfWQLPwM6yAmBreLZLs9CRqB8ZsYa5nqp9GS6vRs8nNCIbs_BtYL0WV7LO3XYS3PyrpO0T6n7Rol_ojC2VPoVukfK0lpCf7uSU2/s320/incredible_hulk.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Being
the one that everyone always forgets about, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Incredible Hulk</i> occupies that uncomfortable territory of the “rebootquel,”
having started life as a sequel to Ang Lee’s previous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hulk</i> and morphing into something else along the way. Ed Norton
takes up the role of Bruce Banner, and the actor’s scrawny physique and quiet demeanor
prove an ideal match for the Hulk’s other half. The story wisely looks to the
Bixby series and the modern <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bourne</i>
films for inspiration, presenting the story as a chase movie with Banner on the
run from the government. It’s a solid, if somewhat-unremarkable movie, with
action scenes that are impressively staged, but which perhaps go on far too
long in an attempt to distance itself from Lee’s spiritual, more somber first
film. Ultimately, it proved to be a flash in the pan, as Norton didn’t reprise
the role in the later <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers </i>and
the big green guy has yet to a big screen follow-up to plots set up here (which
also sadly means we’ll never get a big-headed Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader).
But for what it is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Incredible Hulk</i>
is still an enjoyable romp, an odd blip on the radar of the MCU with just the
right amount of pathos and Hulking out to satisfy most fans.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">13. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor: The
Dark World</i></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sometimes
it takes a second go around the bend to finally get it right, and with this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor </i>sequel, Marvel hits the sweet spot
to successfully bring this character into three dimensions. The film still has
problems (the main baddie Malekith is about as interesting as dry bread, there
are way too many characters, the plot boils down to an all-powerful,
ill-explained McGuffin), but it improves on nearly every other aspect of the
first; chief amongst them, the relationship between Jane and Thor. Instead of
two pretty people who suddenly get the hots for each other, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TDW</i> presents the story of star-crossed
lovers far more convincingly, with the tables turned and Jane finding herself
the fish out of water in Asgard. Thor himself is a deeper character, with
Hemsworth bringing a newfound maturity without losing his rakish, fun qualities
(this is most apparent in the scenes with his half-brother Loki, with Tom
Hiddleston once again being this series’ secret weapon). The filmmakers also
make the nine realms into convincing, lived-in environments. Asgard and
Jotunheim looked fake and plastic in the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor</i>, but the otherworldly realms in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TDW </i>look and feel more like actual places you could go to, instead
of airplane hangers draped with weightless set design. It’s still on the lower
end of the MCU canon in all, but that’s largely because the others have raised
the bar of quality so high.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">12. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor
Strange</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr48MWVZLxUZYQobb4QCl7XuWdpGOvnT1peZQ49DJVCippkhYS87kHY4cB0ZhWUOAzgNB-sS6SrRCXIF6Lny9kuIMT_QbXrRixb_ceyhgJqFU8oCMMR5jUW5VAuugFFA3U3ZhqSJIVIQbq/s1600/doctor-strange-2016-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr48MWVZLxUZYQobb4QCl7XuWdpGOvnT1peZQ49DJVCippkhYS87kHY4cB0ZhWUOAzgNB-sS6SrRCXIF6Lny9kuIMT_QbXrRixb_ceyhgJqFU8oCMMR5jUW5VAuugFFA3U3ZhqSJIVIQbq/s320/doctor-strange-2016-02.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was a fear early on that the rather <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inception</i>-y
looking trailers for<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Doctor</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strange</i> wouldn’t quite capture the
mind-bending, psychedelic visuals of the original Steve Ditko comics, but
director Scott Derrickson and his team manage to bring the trippy, as well as a
host of martial arts infused magic and a time-bending finale that gives the
Master of the Mystic Arts’ film debut a soul and personality of its own. Benedict
Cumberbatch is a solid Stephen Strange, if not the most revelatory choice (pour
one out for Joaquin Phoenix/Oscar Isaac), and the film keeps true to the rest
of the MCU canon in that it’s an exceptionally well-cast film--getting the very
best actors around for even the most minor of parts… and one that does better
with some of its performers than others, to be honest. Benedict Wong and Tilda
Swinton get to shine, while Rachel McAdams is kind of lost in the shuffle of
all the astral projection and time looping fun. I did appreciate the film’s
willingness to dive head-on towards more spiritual/philosophical themes on life
and death, but the familiarity of the hero’s origin leaves this entry falling
on the lower half of the MCU’s releases thus far. Dr. Strange’s “hero learns
humility” origin is one that we’ve already seen with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor</i> and at
least a dozen others. It’s solid and enjoyable enough, but--at the end of the
day--not really much more than that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">11. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers:
Age of Ultron</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSyLKHsBYTwverwzll_l24uWSbXaIe1jDh4_Oq2msKuSq46zp0LspeXZGbQ3KB-O8HshkksqPQMxHMewQ1HKTJNA3OdY-uLKtUus6MYzEyOV1JzYAqiii9vGiQJmS9aHs5D5JhG3wZZ77/s1600/Age-of-Ultron-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSyLKHsBYTwverwzll_l24uWSbXaIe1jDh4_Oq2msKuSq46zp0LspeXZGbQ3KB-O8HshkksqPQMxHMewQ1HKTJNA3OdY-uLKtUus6MYzEyOV1JzYAqiii9vGiQJmS9aHs5D5JhG3wZZ77/s320/Age-of-Ultron-poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1503721351"></span><span id="goog_1503721352"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Following
up on the massive success of the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers</i>
would be a tall order for anyone, even when the man who helped make that film
so special steps once more behind the lens to give Earth’s Mightiest Heroes a
threat even bigger than an invasion by an entire alien army. Joss Whedon is
certainly not lacking in ambition with this near-three hour follow-up, so it’s
perhaps not surprising that not all of the elements gel together into a
complete whole, leaving the audience with an amazing, frustrating but
ultimately satisfying follow-up to the ground-breaking original. One of the
film’s chief problems is the ever-growing cast, with an additional three new
heroes to properly introduce and set-up for future films in addition to
servicing the returning five… and that’s before we even get to James Spader’s
Ultron, who--it should be noted--is one of the MCU’s standout villains to date.
There is a lot to love here, whether it’s the blossoming, doomed romance of
Black Widow and the Hulk, the glimpse we get of Hawkeye’s home life or the
truly astonishing final conversation between the Vision and Ultron, easily one
of the best scenes in the entire Marvel canon. But it all comes at the expense
of ever-increasing CG slugfests that feel more and more weightless and drag on
for far too long--most egregious in the kind of pointless Iron Man/Hulk battle
royale (although that scene does go on to provide a major plot point for future
movies, so I guess there’s that). It’s a beautiful mess of a movie that I
wished worked just a little bit better, but is admirable in how in deepens the thematics
in one of the most populist movies ever made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spider-Man:
Homecoming</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMmk4W6ZZr6_N0SRkrjO8R6M66t3Zpr1FTUQP5NtZQCpMRC5lmj9jr3ThamHXHQAv3N1Q8SmNL_FozVOxm1yC_j3l-L5n8aBNJ1d8gHYxnCW98Z56kwOPP8Onw7wFLdIx8xFWZZXmwida/s1600/spiderman-mondo-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="711" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMmk4W6ZZr6_N0SRkrjO8R6M66t3Zpr1FTUQP5NtZQCpMRC5lmj9jr3ThamHXHQAv3N1Q8SmNL_FozVOxm1yC_j3l-L5n8aBNJ1d8gHYxnCW98Z56kwOPP8Onw7wFLdIx8xFWZZXmwida/s320/spiderman-mondo-poster.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
there’s a weak-point to this most recent, third on-screen iteration of
Spider-Man, then it’s exactly that: arriving a decade after Tobey Maguire’s
run, and only three years since the last Andrew Garfield debacle. Two reboots
in ten years is a lot to swallow, and a problem that shouldn’t be placed on the
shoulders of the fine folks responsible for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homecoming</i>,
but it still leaves the film-going audience fatigued from all the
whiplash-inducing change in directions. It’s a good thing, then, that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homecoming </i>gives us possibly the best
version of the wall-crawler yet filmed. The previous versions paid lip service
to the high school setting, but this is an honest-to-God high school movie,
taking more inspiration from John Hughes’ classic teen flicks than more
traditional superhero fare. The result is a wonderfully low-key adventure where
the biggest stakes lie in whether or not the hero can get a date to the Homecoming
dance, rather than save the city from some nebulous, glowing object in the sky.
Tom Holland is the first Peter Parker to believably look and act like a kid,
desperate to be taken seriously but still wrangling with those pesky hormones,
and his interactions with Tony Stark/Iron Man are integrated in deep-rooted
character building rather than simple fan-service/set-up for the next big MCU
film. Throw in Michael Keaton at the top of his game as the film’s heavy, and
you have a movie that can’t help but delight at every turn. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">9. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ant-Man</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ant-Man</i> had already undergone a considerable
amount before a single frame of the film was even shot, thanks to Edgar Wright
dropping out as director a year before release and having worked on it the
previous eight years. And thus director Peyton Reed’s eventual film has been
picked apart in the time since its initial release to discern what exactly from
Wright’s original conception remains. Which is a shame, because the actual
movie we received turned out to be endlessly enjoyable. With <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ant-Man</i>, we get to see the first example
of a legacy superhero within the MCU, as Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym passes the
mantle of Ant-Man on to his protégé Scott Lang, played by the enduringly likable
Paul Rudd. The film benefits from its smaller scale, taking the bones of a
heist movie and plopping the trappings of the superhero on top, with a main
character who isn’t a god, super-soldier or billionaire inventor--he’s just a
regular joe, doing everything he can to pay his child support bills on time and
keep his head above water. It all comes to a head in one of the best action climaxes
the MCU has seen so far, which fittingly takes place on a toy train track in a
child’s bedroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians
of the Galaxy Vol. 2</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>James
Gunn’s follow-up to his 2014 insta-classic doubles down on everything that made
the first film so enjoyable. You’ve got your colorful alien landscapes, you’ve
got irreverent jokes, more pop hits of yesteryear and, of course, Baby Groot.
The opening scene establishes all you need to know about Gunn’s world, as a
massive battle with a space monster plays out in the background while the main
focus Baby Groot grooving to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” If you want to be an asshole,
you could point out the film’s relative lack of plot, but when the movie acts
as a framework to hang out with and explore such colorful characters, it really
doesn’t matter. What’s most surprising is the emotional heart of the film,
which revolves around fathers, both biological and adopted, and that’s where
Kurt Russell and Michael Rooker get to shine. Russell’s 80’s action iconography
fits right in with the film’s aesthestic, and Rooker gives the film both its
biggest laughs and tear-inducing moments. In the end, it’s not quite up there
with the original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians</i>… but
really, what is?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain
America: The First Avenger</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYe5p69S1pxMDLfPM-X2hDipYb19s7MLCTbYcZMdiXTKLfEHWavZKqywT3lnbPdNKMtq86J-ICnPJkpI656nA550RZeVCLOdZZO1baDHYXx83TeAvhqU8RoeTXDjja0e0IwJIyh7Q549fs/s1600/captain-america-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="601" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYe5p69S1pxMDLfPM-X2hDipYb19s7MLCTbYcZMdiXTKLfEHWavZKqywT3lnbPdNKMtq86J-ICnPJkpI656nA550RZeVCLOdZZO1baDHYXx83TeAvhqU8RoeTXDjja0e0IwJIyh7Q549fs/s320/captain-america-poster.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Making
Captain America work in this day and age is a tricky proposition, for any
number of reasons, but Marvel succeeds with aplomb here by finding the absolute
correct leading man to carry the shield. Chris Evans already showed his
superhero bonafides on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fantastic Four
</i>movies, but here gets the role he was born to play in Steve Rogers, the
scrawny little dweeb with the heart of gold. Evans walks the fine tight-rope that
Christopher Reeve traveled in portraying a hero so earnest and true it
threatens to come off as corny, but the actor makes it work - giving us a
Captain America that doesn’t spend time spouting off platitudes, but rather
facing impossible odds and coming up on top every time. Evans isn’t alone, and
it’s his relationship with his fellow cast-members Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee
Jones, Hugo Weaving and a host of others that help usher in this unbelievable
world and make it feel real. Director Joe Johnston frames the film in a
nostalgic, photogenic filter of Norman Rockwell and classic WWII propaganda,
resulting in one of the few MCU movies that has its own distinct look. Indeed,
the whole film feels like the one Johnston has been heading towards his entire
career, trading in equal parts classic adventure pulp as it does that
Spielbergian, feel-good narrative that makes no apologies for its unfettered
innocence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain
America: The Winter Soldier</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-snHr76A5983TpQ1us9x9dqVULuwB5_6KHtMEPs-K6re_6nuq1H33PQhX8aLkVO4NcnHrHFzMjf7UQdG4iwpZmNnL5TIwVPSUVuHfwJguXASDBIi1seeqlvW-944dyyv0l2Xgqfg_Yx32/s1600/captain-america-winter-soldier-retro-poster-400x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-snHr76A5983TpQ1us9x9dqVULuwB5_6KHtMEPs-K6re_6nuq1H33PQhX8aLkVO4NcnHrHFzMjf7UQdG4iwpZmNnL5TIwVPSUVuHfwJguXASDBIi1seeqlvW-944dyyv0l2Xgqfg_Yx32/s320/captain-america-winter-soldier-retro-poster-400x600.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This second <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain America </i>movie is a flat-out
blast, a topical political thriller that’s fun and thought-provoking in equal
measure. I mean, sure - this isn’t exactly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Citizenfour</i>,
but it’s also not just a special effects extravaganza that pays lip service to
whatever’s going on in the current political climate to appear “smart.” The
questions of freedom and privacy are handled in a way appropriate to a film
that features characters called the Black Widow and the Falcon, but are no less
interesting as a result. It also helps that the action filmmaking on display is
possibly the best seen in all of the MCU, with fast, hard-hitting fisticuffs
inspired by the likes of recent action fare such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Raid</i> (a far cry from the MCU’s early days, when the most
exciting action scene was probably Whiplash’s introduction in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">IM2</i>). A spectacular debut in the MCU for
the Russo Bros., and it’s very telling that they’ve since gone on to become the
chief “architects” of the MCU, as it were, as they went on from here not just
to make another <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cap</i> movie, but pick
up the ball from Joss Whedon on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers
</i>series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor:
Ragnarok</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>New
Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi takes the reins for the thunder god’s third
installment, and leads the series in a complete 180 from where it was
previously. The last two films had their comedic moments, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ragnarok </i>is an out-and-out comedy, with
Thor himself becoming more like Jack Burton from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big Trouble in Little China</i>, drawing on Chris Hemsworth’s
considerable comedic chops. Waititi blends Carpenter’s cult classic with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flash Gordon</i>, throwing in liberal doses
of Jack Kirby and Frank Frazetta while he’s at it. It may seem weird for a film
about the end of Asgard to take such a farcical bent, but it is worth pointing
out that the film never sacrifices drama for its many laughs. There’s a strong
central arc for its buffoonish (but competent) main hero, one that sees the
thunder god lose both his hammer and golden locks as he’s sent hurtling through
the cosmos to the savage planet Sakaar, where he then must do battle with a
certain angry, green-skinned friend from the past in a gladiatorial arena
before he can get back home and prevent the world from ending. Returning cast
members such as Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Mark Ruffalo get in on the
wacky action, playing goofier (and more lovable) versions of their characters,
while newcomers Jeff Goldblum, Cate Blanchett, Karl Urban and Tessa Thompson
virtually steal the show out from everyone beneath them. It all moves at a
dizzying, breakneck pace that takes some getting used to, but when Thor and
friends storm the rainbow bridge to take on Hela and her forces of evil set to
Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” it’s kind of hard not to fall under the film’s
loopy spell. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHN6yo0-KPEdz9DcMOMkFljcyjR0UNcBedjbcSJWMwGJP1E2DKL7DnJnMXz2Ie5ol28hWtvien8_U9gkgAm9iSZruWTCu3gP-qjZ5jsg9XfK1gjFyybz2pBkhlxotzEMdWiOCGo2k_lYU/s1600/220px-Ironmanposter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHN6yo0-KPEdz9DcMOMkFljcyjR0UNcBedjbcSJWMwGJP1E2DKL7DnJnMXz2Ie5ol28hWtvien8_U9gkgAm9iSZruWTCu3gP-qjZ5jsg9XfK1gjFyybz2pBkhlxotzEMdWiOCGo2k_lYU/s320/220px-Ironmanposter.JPG" width="215" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
first one out of the gate, it would be easy to look back on this early effort
and dismiss it for its lack of flash, but to do so would be to miss not just
the entire point of this movie, but of the cinematic universe it establishes.
With <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i>, Marvel Studios
established the parameters by which it would operate in all subsequent films,
which boils down thusly: characters first, everything else second. Sure, the
dundering scenes of Iron Man fighting the Iron Monger at the end are DTV-level
in their staging, but the true excitement of this first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man </i>film lies in the wonderful, banter-laden scenes between
Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges. By choosing the
down-and-out Downey as their leading man, Marvel kickstarted a chain of picking
the right actors for the right parts, and having everything else in the
filmmaking process flow from that. Because the joy in this film isn’t seeing
Iron Man suit up and take flight--it’s seeing the grin on Tony Stark’s face
when he does it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Avengers</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iT_PzpJTPkC0D7MPgQO3gd1r8Z29-3XORAA7GfY7-WykO6CBs4yzpQQ5ayqOnaw0vtLFoEToP44S7IeRDvGyMCRnYvPXGCZCB0dj02dlHP_zKrPld_JhKE9wtvOilMLFKRSusq0yD-9l/s1600/the-avengers-mondo-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iT_PzpJTPkC0D7MPgQO3gd1r8Z29-3XORAA7GfY7-WykO6CBs4yzpQQ5ayqOnaw0vtLFoEToP44S7IeRDvGyMCRnYvPXGCZCB0dj02dlHP_zKrPld_JhKE9wtvOilMLFKRSusq0yD-9l/s320/the-avengers-mondo-poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
fact that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Avengers</i> isn’t
immediately at the top of this list should show the level these Marvel Studios
films are operating at. Joss Whedon pulled off the impossible and brought the
initial plans of an interconnected universe to vivid life; he did more than
that, injecting the movie with his own personal charm and sense of wit, whilst
also meeting the needs of a corporate blockbuster. The action unfolding on the
screen was previously only possible on the comic book page, with disparate
heroes from other franchises sharing the screen to fight each other and their
enemies, but the most exciting thing about is watching the actors play off each
other. Much like the first film, no amount of CG in the world can compare with
the simple pleasure of watching a handful of actors at the top of their game
bounce off of each other, and for that, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Avengers </i>will remain a benchmark that will be quite hard to surpass in the
years to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Captain
America: Civil War</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT12unCsXurdEnU3iw64-n1Gq6CCl2SWUMmiGjAQSkrRtteM4v7AzIo1APFgGQOviuLsJUUPOGxX1p4du-4dIrE2muICb2hjLIMGpWXGqv5GGxuiBxZe8mZY9WAi4HVxuXddxCtKr1wnYz/s1600/Captain-America-Civil-War-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT12unCsXurdEnU3iw64-n1Gq6CCl2SWUMmiGjAQSkrRtteM4v7AzIo1APFgGQOviuLsJUUPOGxX1p4du-4dIrE2muICb2hjLIMGpWXGqv5GGxuiBxZe8mZY9WAi4HVxuXddxCtKr1wnYz/s320/Captain-America-Civil-War-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>third <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain America </i>is an excellent example of how Marvel can now
utilizes the cinematic universe it’s created in the last decade for maximum
effect. There are over a dozen superheroes who appear in this two-and-a-half
hour movie, and yet the film never feels overstuffed. Characters new and old
alike… each one is given a clear role within the confines of this story which
sees Captain America and Iron Man come to blows over a new government imposed
regulations to keep the Avengers and the mass destruction that usually follows
in their wake in check. And despite this orgy of superheroes, the film never
loses sight of the one in the title--although this could technically work as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers 2.5</i>, it’s also unabashedly a
Cap movie, picking up on threads started in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Winter
Soldier</i> and carrying Stever Rogers’ arc through to the next, natural
evolution of that character. And best of all is the villain Zemo, played with
cunning intensity by Daniel Bruhl. The chief criticism often leveled at the MCU
is how their films usually fall short in the villain department, and how the
continuing nature of the characters means there’s no “real” stakes (i.e.,
characters can’t die). But Zemo uses those apparent handicaps to his own
advantage, both using his status as a nobody to skirt through the frames of the
film without catching notice of its many heroes, and enacting a plot that death
of any Avengers, but shatters them completely.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man
Three</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2WK_DVuY55f3UvjF3tSecgEs37FgrMhy3Npf2mz-SMXqbDO4-TmPIi9b4KkAVGYVbPgiLRabDWne4E92U8rd_tznXUVSpZvINnZ7b-gDGEd2T6qF80Xn1_CxBuRteb6yn_XZMywxMayP/s1600/Iron-Man-3-poster-border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1200" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2WK_DVuY55f3UvjF3tSecgEs37FgrMhy3Npf2mz-SMXqbDO4-TmPIi9b4KkAVGYVbPgiLRabDWne4E92U8rd_tznXUVSpZvINnZ7b-gDGEd2T6qF80Xn1_CxBuRteb6yn_XZMywxMayP/s320/Iron-Man-3-poster-border.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Marvel
Studios has come under some scrutiny for making its filmmakers adhere to a
“house style,” but there is room to play within the machine that is the MCU, if
the filmmakers are clever enough to marry their vision to Marvel’s. Which is
what makes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man Three </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>such a delight: it’s a Shane Black movie,
through and through, but one that’s totally in keeping with the arc set forth
for Tony Stark in all his previous appearances. Even better than the Shane
Black buddy-cop scenes and the MCU histrionics, though, are the deeper, Jungian
themes at play in Stark’s journey, which sees the PTSD-stricken hero taken
apart piece by piece by his archnemesis, only to put himself back together in
the end. That’s who Stark is--a builder and fixer of things. And if that sounds
too hoity-toity for you, fear not: the film is every bit as fun as any movie
you’re likely to see, and one that takes its characters far more seriously than
it does itself. Both Black and Marvel understand that within the simplistic
framework of the superhero is a chance to explore the deeper meanings of what
it is to be human; meanings made all the more impactful via the use of repulsor
blasts and a fire-breathing Guy Pearce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians
of the Galaxy</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunrtpClMD96r7UqM0m_vh2q0jvs4KcEoa-8tpXW4RiybS5hYuGvlowoKy4HXqNKO6KMS6H8SoUWt265Blbr8oqU2UsIx4XP0ux99T4ffFq-8UQ0Oocku04_StW73Ja3RgtwLqcIx17vcM/s1600/guardians_of_the_galaxy_by_cakes_and_comics-d7clqux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunrtpClMD96r7UqM0m_vh2q0jvs4KcEoa-8tpXW4RiybS5hYuGvlowoKy4HXqNKO6KMS6H8SoUWt265Blbr8oqU2UsIx4XP0ux99T4ffFq-8UQ0Oocku04_StW73Ja3RgtwLqcIx17vcM/s320/guardians_of_the_galaxy_by_cakes_and_comics-d7clqux.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How
is it that a D-list comic property featuring characters no one has ever heard
of winds up topping the list? That’s just the Marvel Studios magic at play,
where the audience is made to fall in love with a giant tree-man and a
gun-toting, smart-ass raccoon. Much like Shane Black and Joss Whedon, James
Gunn gets to make a movie appealing to his own sensibilities whilst playing in
the toybox of the Marvel Universe, and all parties (including we, the audience)
are better for it. It’s hard to pin down exactly what it is about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians</i> that makes it so damn much
fun: the characters and the actors cast to play them certainly are a huge part
of it. Gunn’s irreverent, off-beat humor mixed with traditional blockbuster
action is another part. The soundtrack, the effects, the emotional beats… all
of it comes together in a satisfying package of good old-fashioned fun. But
perhaps the thing that pushes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians </i>to
the top is the joy felt by all involved in its making--a group of people you
can see standing just off to the side of the camera, a mile-wide grin on of
their faces, all caught up with the same thought: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I can’t believe they’re letting us get away with this</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
</div>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-80646342305733698752017-07-25T03:23:00.002-07:002017-07-25T03:23:52.558-07:00A Hap and Leonard Reread: Rusty Puppy (2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJ-okZQcVdfDLcnvRYsSVzx5fSCD_A0-n1YOTwejS__oQXgh83tLzTrUNzi2y3tqZZaklunH8tgbcNyweAMzjNuTNv1e_iv6CGxddeN1sVXTZOpX4qYArnnhHWKbyvrtTyJTncSC2Cx1L/s1600/rusty+puppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJ-okZQcVdfDLcnvRYsSVzx5fSCD_A0-n1YOTwejS__oQXgh83tLzTrUNzi2y3tqZZaklunH8tgbcNyweAMzjNuTNv1e_iv6CGxddeN1sVXTZOpX4qYArnnhHWKbyvrtTyJTncSC2Cx1L/s320/rusty+puppy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hap and Leonard get back to their roots in
this scaled-down adventure.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rusty Puppy</i>, it feels like Lansdale
wants to get back to the classic Hap and Leonard feel. Not that the series has
lost its way or become lesser in any capacity, but a lot has changed for the
characters since they made their debut in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Savage
Season</i>. Hap is living in a somewhat domesticated fashion with his
girlfriend Brett, his newfound daughter Chance and even their dog Buffy. He and
Leonard have finally found a real-deal career, working for Brett’s private
detective office. They even manage to (mostly) stay out of hot water with the
LaBorde police dept. thanks to their longtime friend Marvin Hansen, who’s
worked his way up the chain to the position of police commissioner. They’ve
also developed a nice set of supporting characters to call upon if they happen
to be in trouble, whether it’s their third-wheel P.I. buddy Jim Bob Luke,
mysterious attorney Veil, newspaper reporter Cason Statler or the deadly
assassin Vanilla Ride. It’s a wide and fun cast of characters Lansdale can draw
from with each new kerfluffle Hap and Leonard find themselves in, and each one
acts as a different ingredient to spice up the Hap and Leonard stew whenever
they show up.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
it all started with Hap and Leonard themselves, and bringing all of those
elements in can often put their dynamic on the back-burner. As such, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rusty Puppy</i> strips away most everything
else to give us a classic Hap and Leonard story, with the two taking on the
case of a murdered black man which may have been perpetrated by a neighboring
town’s corrupt police force. You can tell Lansdale’s trying to bring back the
feel of some of the older stories; there’s no assassin-training compounds or
putting together a team of badasses for a mission or rip-roaring car chases
with an excess of collateral damage--just an intricate murder mystery that
feels all too familiar to anyone who watches the evening news. And while I’ve
enjoyed the turns Lansdale took in the recent novels, it is undeniable that the
relationship that has been the backbone of the series sometimes gets lost in
the shuffle. The characters have (mostly) aged in real time, and thus have to
go through some fairly significant changes to keep the books from getting
stale. It’s nice to see Hap find some manner of happiness with Brett and Chance,
but it was his and Leonard’s constant hard luck that gave the original novels
their charge. The heart of the series was always the two of them getting a shit
sandwich and having no one but each other to rely on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
accomplish getting back to the feel of the old days, Lansdale sidelines Brett
and Chance by giving them the somewhat lame excuse of having a bad case of the
flu for most of the book. Introduced in the last novel, Chance still feels like
a sub-plot that’s never really given its due. I like the relationship that Lansdale
establishes between her and Hap, but there’s still a lot to unpack with this
particular thread, considering they only just recently found out about each
other and their familial ties. To get the proper development she deserves,
Chance will have to be the main focus in a future novel or story. Also getting
the short shrift is the giant cliffhanger left off by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Honky Tonk Samurai</i>, in which Hap was stabbed in the last chapter,
his fate hanging in the balance as he was slipping quick whilst being rushed to
the emergency room. It’s handled rather quickly in the first chapter, as
Lansdale fast-forwards through hospital and recovery time to find Hap more or
less back to “normal.” The character is still a bit of a brooder, and we get
hints that Hap is having trouble dealing with his mortality, but the way
everything is so quickly resolved makes the previous cliffhanger feel
weightless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
isn’t weightless is the story that follows, a race-fuelled murder involving
corrupt cops, an illegal boxing ring at an old abandoned saw-mill and Reba, a
young girl from the projects who Leonard dubs “the 400-year old midget
vampire.” It’s a mystery that feels more in line with older works like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mucho Mojo </i>or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad Chili</i>, with Hap and Leonard going from one lead to another
while encountering the colorful and often-times dangerous locals. Reba herself
is perhaps one of the best to grace Hap and Leonard’s world, a foul-mouthed
eight-year-old who provides information as long as it’s paid for in McDonalds’
apple pies. She develops such a rapport with the boys here that I wouldn’t be
surprised to see her return in future installments, perhaps as a ward to
Leonard and his new beau Officer Carroll. The rest of the mystery plays out
like previous Hap and Leonard jaunts, with a mess of reveals and reversals that
prevent the reader from ever getting too comfortable and usually wind up with
the boys dealing out some harsh justice (although less harsh than the more
recent affairs--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rusty Puppy</i> doesn’t
have the body count of what we saw in the Vanilla Ride trilogy, for instance).
It does end with something we haven’t seen before: Hap and Leonard having a
no-shit, for-real exchange of fists and feet. Don’t worry: the two are forced
at gunpoint to fight each other, so it’s not like their friendship is shattered
and they’re now hated enemies or whatever. But they are forced to not pull
their punches, and the fight that follows is a legendary scene that might as
well be Batman vs. Superman, King Kong vs. Godzilla… the Clash of the East
Texas Bad-asses. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Despite
some elements being undercooked, it’s a fine installment in the ongoing saga,
and a nice return to form of the classic Hap and Leonard feel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-36168752194449466622017-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-20T05:00:21.998-07:00A Hap and Leonard Reread: Honky Tonk Samurai (2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mq7JwJ24mI6HpNYKHC2d52M2nJod62q6DbIiGsATveNtWvbw66bXFimf5PZaG3kqhxDFqCJbMXxRT_QF730MArFvo-dfrI98R9ruNKllfT_a-hGQeNng-kJhB8NRmkL_agT1VT6Cf2cS/s1600/Honky-Tonk-Samurai-by-Joe-R-Lansdale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mq7JwJ24mI6HpNYKHC2d52M2nJod62q6DbIiGsATveNtWvbw66bXFimf5PZaG3kqhxDFqCJbMXxRT_QF730MArFvo-dfrI98R9ruNKllfT_a-hGQeNng-kJhB8NRmkL_agT1VT6Cf2cS/s320/Honky-Tonk-Samurai-by-Joe-R-Lansdale.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The boys from East Texas return in what
might be their most epic tale yet...</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Well,
it only took nine books and twenty-five odd years, but Hap Collins and Leonard
Pine have finally found their true calling in life. They’d been inching towards
it for the last few entries in the series, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Honky Tonk Samurai </i>makes it official: Hap and Leonard are now
professional detectives. Blue collar private eyes. Redneck gumshoes. Of course,
it’s really Hap’s girlfriend Brett who’s running the show, after she buys
Marvin Hansen’s P.I. business once Hansen is offered the Laborde police commissioner’s
seat, but Hap and Leonard are now gainfully employed. Given how they are
usually drawn into webs of intrigue and violence, it’s a job calling that’s
been long overdue, and with Brett around to keep them in line, one that might
last for longer than a few months. But all of that depends on them surviving the
endless volley of shit thrown their way; something they’ve managed to do so
far, but the two aren’t exactly spring chickens anymore. Their luck can only
last so long…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Their
first case comes about in traditional Hap and Leonard fashion: after Leonard is
filmed beating up a man he catches abusing a dog, the newly instated Brett
Sawyer Investigations is blackmailed by the little old lady doing the filming.
She wants the boys (and gal) to look up her grand-daughter Sandy, who went
missing some time ago and hasn’t been heard from since. Having no other choice
but to take the case, their first lead takes them to a fancy car dealership where
Sandy was working when she disappeared. Hap and Leonard eventually uncover the
dealership as a front for a high-dollar prostitution and extortion ring, where
the wealthy clients are filmed doing the two-bear mambo (sorry) and then
blackmailed into giving up money to keep the tapes from being released. Of
course, all of that is just the set-up for the fracas to come, putting Hap and
Leonard in the midst of a massive crime ring and in the crosshairs of yet
another legendary assassin, this one dubbed “The Canceller.” If they want to
survive, they’ll have to take a page from the work I assume the book takes most
of its inspiration from--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Samurai</i>--and
put together a team of formidable badasses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
crew is made up of a couple of Lansdale regulars: of course we have Jim Bob
Luke, the third private dick in the Hap and Leonard team who has become such a
natural part of the ensemble, it always feels a bit weird when he doesn’t show
up for at least one scene. Small-town reporter Cason Statler also returns,
although he decides to sit out the gunfights and fisticuffs and focus mostly on
the investigative side. He does put the boys in touch with an old army buddy of
his, the sociopathic Booger, who first appeared along with Statler in Lansdale’s
2008 novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leather Maiden</i>. Booger is something
of a wild card, a deadly, thrill-seeking kill machine who is just as likely to
off the people he works with as the people he’s hired to kill, if the price is
right. Having a volatile element like Booger produces a veritable explosion of
fireworks, especially with the shit-talking Leonard, making the reader anxious to
see how things would play out if the two were to finally come to blows. Rounding
out the crew is another familiar face, the James Bond wet dream of a femme
fatale assassin, Vanilla Ride. Her school-girl crush on Hap is starting to
border on comical, but Vanilla is always a welcome character whenever she shows
up, if only because her presence helps to break up all the testosterone. Having
her lend her services to the boys also helps makes it easier to believe that
the rough-and-tumble Hap and Leonard could take on the professional assassins
that seem to just line up around the corner to take the duo out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s
another important character introduced, but to get into that, we’ll have to
wade into some pretty significant SPOILER territory, so read on at your own
peril. About halfway through the novel, a young woman stops by Brett Sawyer
Investigations to drop the bombshell that she may actually the estranged
daughter of Hap. Suitably named Chance, she’s the daughter of one of Hap’s old
girlfriends, a young woman in her early twenties with a journalism degree and a
big heart. If we can see Hap as something of an avatar for Lansdale himself,
then it makes absolute sense for Hap to now have a daughter, as the author also
has a daughter who’s now grown into a young woman. And while the scenes of them
getting to know each other resonate very strongly, not much else is done with
Chance… at least not here. She essentially acts as a sub-plot that never crosses
over with the main action, and thus never really gets the narrative
significance that such an important character in Hap’s life should. Once The
Canceller gets on Hap and Leonard’s tails, Brett and Chance kind of disappear
from the novel, literally going on an extended vacation while the boys sort out
what’s what back at home. Considering the dynamic Brett usually adds to our
main duo, I would have loved to see both her and Chance more involved in the
plot, but I suppose Lansdale had enough on his plate with all the other
characters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
criticism is the ending action scene, which is way too close to the way the
last novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Devil Red</i>, ended. Once
again we have yet another siege on a heavily-fortified compound housing yet
another team of highly-trained, almost comic book-like assassins. And while the
scene is as brutal and breakneck as anything else Lansdale has written (coupled
with some distinctly on-brand Lansdale details that could only be described as “more
fucked up than fucked up,” i.e., dozens of jars filled with human testicles),
the impact is lessened somewhat due to the similarities to the previous novel. I
did appreciate the reveal of what exactly became of Sandy, the missing person
who set the whole plot in motion--that particular plot thread takes a turn that
I don’t think anyone will see coming *, and also gives Lansdale one the best
and most heartbreaking scenes in his literary canon, where Hap and Leonard have
to explain it all to Sandy’s grandmother. I guess we could call the last few
books in the series the “Vanilla Ride” trilogy, since all three deal with Hap
and Leonard facing off against some colorful assassin or another, and all three
feature the Vanilla Ride character, but I’m kind of glad that particular thread
seems to be wrapped up for now. The series is still more fun than anything else
you’re liable to read in the meantime, but I think I’m ready for another
gear-shift in the Hap and Leonard books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
gear-shift that seems to be promised by the humdinger of a cliffhanger Lansdale
leaves us with here. The Hap and Leonard series has generally had endings that
could be described as open-ended, but they more or less stand on their own. Not
so with this entry, which no doubt left Hap and Leonard fans everywhere rushing
to find out when the next entry in the series was due. It’s a bold choice to
make for a series that’s coming up on its tenth installment and received newfound
attention thanks to the new TV show, and one that I couldn’t help but admire
for its ballsiness. Bring on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rusty Puppy</i>!</span></div>
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Even more, super-duper SPOILERS: I was fully prepared for Chance to be revealed
as Sandy at some point in the novel, or perhaps the eighth Canceller that winds
up stabbing Hap at the end, but she winds up being exactly who she says she is.
And although it would have dove-tailed this storyline in quite nicely with the main
one, I’m ultimately glad Lansdale decided to take it in another direction, as
either of the two options above would have felt a little cheap.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-31168097082263968732017-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-19T05:00:18.855-07:00A Hap and Leonard Reread: Devil Red (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSRJQP7Z-2Fj637LXNIBM4hlqQQLFY-u62SNqdUEFnY98LTg5iFGfM3rBVQsOf1JCfdiDmGouWDdl37ZwrIfIn9Cez1WVqQyRPU7koV-Z51IxZqJm2KIvRTGzuuYf1-QIbUv_ijZcSy_d/s1600/devil-red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSRJQP7Z-2Fj637LXNIBM4hlqQQLFY-u62SNqdUEFnY98LTg5iFGfM3rBVQsOf1JCfdiDmGouWDdl37ZwrIfIn9Cez1WVqQyRPU7koV-Z51IxZqJm2KIvRTGzuuYf1-QIbUv_ijZcSy_d/s320/devil-red.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hap and Leonard get spooked in another
encounter with a deadly assassin with a quirky name.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
if it wasn’t already obvious from reading the previous Hap and Leonard novels
(in addition to the rest of his body of work), Joe Lansdale is a hard author to
pin down, at least in terms of what he writes. Having written the gamut of
crime, science fiction and plain ol’ “literature,” his interests are expansive
and all-encompassing. But the author has his roots in horror fiction, and his
work--no matter the genre--usually has something of the macabre to it. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Savage Season</i> featured the straight
outta splatterpunk duo of Soldier and Angel, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mucho Mojo </i>delved full-bore into the creepy with religious,
ritualistic child murders and vague voodoo mysticism. But while the rest of the
series remained violent and twisted to a certain degree, Lansdale pulled back
on the creep factor with plots that focused more on humor and action. With the
tenth installment, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Devil Red</i>, we get
something of a return to form, as the spooky is back in a big way as Hap and
Leonard encounter vampire cults, deadly training camps for high-dollar
assassins and a series of murders marked with the symbol of a red skull.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ever
the ne’er-do-wells, Hap and Leonard have at least found some semblance of gainful
employment with their old buddy Marvin Hansen, who frequently makes use of
their services for his private investigations office. Not that the two are
especially well-equipped at solving mysteries, but past experience has given
them a certain edge in dealing with criminals and all manner of lowlifes. For
instance, the opening of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Devil Red</i>,
which<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>sees them taking a pair of
baseball bats to a couple of hoodlums who stole eighty-five dollars from an old
lady in the neighborhood. But Hap and Leonard will need more than brute force
to handle what’s to come, as Hansen Investigations takes on a cold case of a
murdered couple, which of course leads the duo on a twisty, turn-y ride with
much gunfire and fisticuffs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Their
new investigation brings them in contact with Cason Statler, the protagonist of
Lansdale’s earlier novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leather Maiden</i>,
an Iraq war veteran who now works as a reporter for a small-time newspaper.
Much like Jim Bob Luke, it’s always fun when Lansdale cross-pollinates his work
and brings in other characters to the world of Hap and Leonard. The younger Statler
makes for a nice contrast with the aging duo, but he isn’t quite as colorful as
someone like Jim Bob, and thus it isn’t as much fun to see him mix it up with
Mr.’s Collins and Pine. Statler winds up not being much of a factor, and he’s
not the only familiar face to make a reappearance, anyway. Vanilla Ride shows
up once more, offering her services to help Hap take on the assassin they’ve
dubbed “Devil Red”; one whom Ms. Ride has a rather starting connection to, as
it turns out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
reappearance of Vanilla Ride is also integral to Hap’s story this time out, as
the East Texan bleeding heart is having something of a crisis of conscience,
brought on by his last encounter with the beautiful but deadly ice blonde
killer. That all culminates in a protracted scene where Hap has a rather
extreme nervous breakdown, as the violence of the last few years of his life
finally catches up with him and cause him to mentally check out. Hap was
becoming a little too comfortable with killing folks in the last few novels, so
it’s nice to see that come to a head and examined more in depth here. Of
course, Hap winds up dishing out more death and destruction by the time we get
to the last page, but it doesn’t feel as out of character as it sometimes has
in the last few books. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The action comes fast
and the plot ticks along with nary a quaver in the machinery, but the novel is
perhaps too narratively efficient. This is the shortest Hap and Leonard book
since the first, and one definitely can’t help but feel that it could have used
a bit more meat. When we finally meet “Devil Red,” they are introduced and
dispatched so quickly it barely gets a chance to register. Without getting into
spoilers, there’s a fascinating back-story promised by the revelations
uncovered toward the end, and it feels like Lansdale stops just as he’s getting
warmed up. Another fifty or so pages would have been nice, just to get a little
bit more of the history of Devil Red.</span></div>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-22168122208243223702017-07-18T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:00:46.117-07:00A Hap and Leonard Reread: Vanilla Ride (2009)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb6-LaltnmecGgd4_vsAdMLXzonvmmJEWuZ5leiW7t8uzkTSfC5NzG2E5KkXMgmCTG2YBv3KrE9-6mWiOxFVApS1evjOAR80FWuzlJ56D9bc53Bhu1nNlxQKQSfpRzodrHe6bVouMFLHp/s1600/vanilla+ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb6-LaltnmecGgd4_vsAdMLXzonvmmJEWuZ5leiW7t8uzkTSfC5NzG2E5KkXMgmCTG2YBv3KrE9-6mWiOxFVApS1evjOAR80FWuzlJ56D9bc53Bhu1nNlxQKQSfpRzodrHe6bVouMFLHp/s320/vanilla+ride.JPG" width="206" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hap and Leonard take on their deadliest foe
yet, a high-rolling assassin for the Dixie mafia.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a> Rights issues kept Hap
and Leonard off the page for a time, but they made their glorious return in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vanilla Ride</i>, almost eight years after
the publication of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captains Outrageous</i>.
A lot happened between 2001 and 2009: America faced its greatest existential
crisis yet on 9/11, which in turn led to a messy and unending conflict in the
Middle East that still has no definitive resolution in sight. I bring all of
this up only because Hap and Leonard were birthed from the fallout of Vietnam,
a similar conflict that took its own existential debt on the country’s
conscience. In other words, Hap and Leonard began as sort of poster children of
the Boomer generation, a commentary on a very specific moment in time and the
disillusionment that followed. Even though eight years doesn’t seem long enough
to create a generational divide, an awful lot happened in those eight years,
and thus Hap and Leonard had to be tweaked just ever so slightly to bring them
up to date with the shifting landscape of the modern world.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s nothing that
changes the fundamentals of who the characters are, though. They’ve still got
their Odd Couple thing going on, with Hap playing the bleeding heart leftie,
and Leonard the old school conservative. They’re older now, although not as old
as they would be had they aged in real time--this “second wave” of the series
operates on a shifting timeline, with the duo aging at a slower rate so as to
still be viable ass-kickers, and not solving crimes in the nursing home. Hap is
still living in a somewhat domestic bliss with his main squeeze Brett, although
his violent past and frequently-violent present are starting to weigh heavily
on him. Leonard is on the outs with his boyfriend John, but he still likes Dr.
Pepper and vanilla cookies. Their old cop buddy Marvin Hansen has retired from
the force and finally started that P.I. office he threatened to in the last
book, and frequently calls on Hap and Leonard to help out; possibly as payback
for all the trouble they gave him when he was a detective. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vanilla Ride</i> opens as such, with Hansen asking Hap and Leonard to
help him out with his grand-daughter Gadget, who’s fallen in with a rough
crowd. The dynamic duo arm themselves with the intention of having a
“personal-growth conference” with Gadget’s boyfriend and his crew. After a
rollicking showdown in a trailer in the middle of nowhere, Hap and Leonard
successfully retrieve Gadget, but inadvertently stir the hornet’s nest that is
the local branch of the Dixie Mafia, and things just continue to get even more
peachy from there.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One thing’s for certain
with his return to his longest-running series: Lansdale comes out of the gate
swinging, giving us shoot-outs and car chases and deadly escapes aplenty for
their seventh adventure… perhaps too much, at least if we’re keeping to the “reality”
previously established in the earlier books. The Hap and Leonard series were
always chock full of pulp thrills that were just this side of the real world,
but the down-to-Earth, blue collar nature of the main characters always keeps
the series operating on a certain wavelength--a wavelength Lansdale stretches
in a real bone-cruncher of a scene, a car-chase/shootout that almost reaches
Michael Bay-levels of carnage and destruction. It’s a fantastic, white-knuckle
action scene, but it has our main characters so easily dishing out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Death Wish</i>-style punishment that it
feels out of pace with the previous novels--especially for Hap, who’s become so
comfortable shooting folks in the head that he starts to feel like a different
character. This change does appear to be intentional, as Hap’s growing violent
tendencies provide the main thematic thrust that carries the novel, but it’s
still a scene that, even in the heightened reality of the Hap and Leonard
books, would surely result in putting our main characters behind bars for a
very long time, and it can’t help but feel a little jarring, as a result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lansdale maneuvers that
violent encounter into an inciting incident for the real meat of the story,
which sees Hap and Leonard trading jail time for a favor to the FBI. It turns
out that one of the Dixie Mafia is angling for a deal, but will only turn
state’s evidence if the feds bring back his son, who’s run away with a healthy
cut of the mob’s money. Not wanting to make it an official mission sanctioned
by the FBI, the feds instead blackmail Hap and Leonard into tracking the son
down. The duo does a little recruiting of their own, putting together a small team
of badasses to help in their endeavor. There’s Jim-Bob Luke, an always-welcome
presence to the world of Hap and Leonard, and Tonto, a dangerous man with a
violent, mysterious past. This little endeavor brings them in contact with the
assassin from which the book draws its name, although it should be noted that
Vanilla Ride doesn’t really show up the last fifty pages or so, and we don’t
even learn that’s her name until a little after that. It may seem odd, given
the book’s title, but the reveal still works in the end. There’s talk early on
about high-paid assassins far above the level of anything Hap or Leonard have
dealt with up until now, and Ms. Ride certainly lives up to the hype, despite
her limited presence. As if the name didn’t tip you off, she’s essentially a
James Bond character dropped into the middle of Hap and Leonard’s world, and
certainly adds a new flavor that we haven’t seen in the series until now. And
if you feel like the character’s brief appearance makes her feel underserved,
fret not: Vanilla Ride is a character that we’ll meet again in the future, and
learn more of her twisted and interesting past, to boot. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s a fun and fast
return for Hap and Leonard, and introduces a character that just begs for a
return appearance. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291125503798968882.post-82332740190957379622017-07-17T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-17T05:00:17.023-07:00A Hap and Leonard Reread: Captains Outrageous (2001)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuHtsmbweqCHxx_qqp1SFcKCGGHYvZWihr1IwPSjRzMf0f70dNHbhvi0HdYCyL8kHpF9ZEWrDJPK8cRSjfFEKX2gTAImcidoWsEshMf2EAdKt7tUHgvsRPBzGpZqYysR4QMK1YBKTKVbC/s1600/captains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuHtsmbweqCHxx_qqp1SFcKCGGHYvZWihr1IwPSjRzMf0f70dNHbhvi0HdYCyL8kHpF9ZEWrDJPK8cRSjfFEKX2gTAImcidoWsEshMf2EAdKt7tUHgvsRPBzGpZqYysR4QMK1YBKTKVbC/s320/captains.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hap and Leonard take a vacation, and everything
goes smoothly. For maybe the first five seconds…</i></span></div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
sixth Hap and Leonard novel opens with our fearless heroes having finally found
some sense of normalcy. They’ve each landed a steady job as security guards for
a chicken processing plant, so that’s one thing. Leonard’s found himself in a
steady relationship and has a pet armadillo named Bob. Hap’s relationship with
Brett isn’t going too well, as she’s still preoccupied with getting her wayward
daughter Tillie back on her feet after the events of the previous novel, but at
least he has a steady paycheck and a new roof over his head. Everything is more
or less going smoothly for everyone’s favorite East Texas duo… which of course
means that it’s only a matter of time before another bomb goes off. That bomb
just so happens to be a drugged-out tweaker Hap comes across after coming off
the late shift at the chicken plant, beating a girl near to death after
dragging her into the woods surrounding the parking lot. Hap fights him off,
saving the girl’s life and then gets a visit from her father the next day. It
turns out her father is the multimillionaire owner of the plant, and to show
off his appreciation for Hap saving his daughter’s life, he gives him a hundred
grand in thanks. Surprised to have actually caught a break for once in life,
Hap decides to treat himself and Leonard to a vacation, and the two embark on a
cruise ship sailing the Gulf of Mexico. All of that covers essentially the
first thirty pages of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captains Outrageous</i>,
so of course it isn’t long before fate comes in to give to big screw to the
boys, in the spectacularly-entertaining fashion that only Joe Lansdale could
provide.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captains Outrageous</i> continues the
tradition of swerving left turns that Lansdale often uses in his fiction, and
is perhaps the wildest example yet. The plot unfolds in the manner of an
episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Simpsons</i>, where it
starts going in one direction and ends in a completely different place;
resulting in a narrative that feels like some bizarre combination of a Russian
nesting doll and Rube Goldberg machine. Hap and Leonard go from being on what
is probably the worst cruise in the world, to getting stranded in a small town
in Mexico, to getting stabbed in a knife fight by bandits and rescued by an
aging fisherman and his daughter, to getting involved with a loan shark who
just so happens to be one of the biggest figures in the Mexican drug cartels…
and that’s just the first half of the book. It’s a wild ride, though and
through, and Lansdale keeps the reader on their toes, never once allowing them
settle in to any familiarity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
crux of the zigzagging storyline does have a center, though, and that primarily
concerns the classic “fish out of water” set-up. Hap and Leonard are out of the
confines of Texas, cast adrift in unfamiliar territory that neither is all
that adept at navigating. Hap and Leonard have enough trouble with their own
corrupt police force back home in LaBorde, TX, but that’s nothing compared to
the Mexican police, who moonlight in their off-duty hours as the very same
thieves that stab Leonard after the duo get left behind by their cruise ship. The
characters they encounter are as colorful as ever, with an aging fisherman in
his seventies who is nonetheless the baddest motherfucker with a machete you’ve
ever seen, a drug lord who practices public nudity and a persnickety waiter on
board the cruise who gets his revenge on the rule-breaking Leonard by telling
him the wrong boarding time after the boat goes ashore. The setting may be
different, but the details generally stay the same. Lansdale revels in the grime
and the grit of hard-luck losers and strung-out junkies, and frequently
populates the Hap and Leonard series with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grand
Guignol</i>-levels of dirt and decay. It doesn’t matter whether it’s East Texas
or Mexico--Hap and Leonard will always find the most roach-infested hotels, the
flimsiest shacks and the filthiest toilets. </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, Hap and
Leonard do eventually make it back home, after witnessing the aftermath of a
horrific murder and spending some time in a Mexican jail cell, but considering
this comes at the novel’s halfway point, it’s safe to assume there’s more to
this story than meets the eye. Despite Hap patching things up with Brett and
Leonard returning home to John and Bob, fate once more intervenes and sticks it
to the duo where it hurts the most when the death of a long-standing character
in the series sends them back across the border on a mission of revenge. It’s a
blood-soaked ending where the twists and turns keep coming, all before wrapping
up in a quick but brutal manner. The very end may feel a little too pat and
easy on its head, but there are some fairly serious implications for Hap’s
character on down the line. The eternal bleeding heart is becoming more and
more comfortable with a slowly-revealed bloodlust, and Hap’s struggles with his
violent nature will be key to later installments in the series. </span></div>
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font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
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<![endif]--><br />Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160421854225969107noreply@blogger.com0