Category: Comic Musings

All general posts relating to the comic book industry.

NFOMO

No fear of missing out on these programs on the Disney+ app that I’m not subscribed to. I’m sure there’s a minute part of me that regrets having subscribed to Paramount+ instead, but at the very least, I’m getting what may very well be the best season of Discovery yet.

(I say this based entirely on the fact that the show hasn’t turned me off and the overarching storyline is at least somewhat interesting. And while I do consider this to be the best of Discovery’s five seasons, it’s still Discovery when all is said and done and thus there are lots of Discovery tropes that annoy me, but I can willfully put up with to see this season through.)

In any event, I’ve had a couple people (for some reason) wonder about the new Doctor Who as well as the X-Men 97 series that supposedly serves as a continuation of the original 90s X-Men cartoon… and I can answer both with the same answer.

I have not seen them.

With Doctor Who, I wasn’t even aware that the season had started, so chances are I may have to give it a watch when I have the chance. As far as X-Men 97 is concerned, that is simply due to a lack of interest. Mostly because I only saw the first couple seasons of X-Men when it first aired, enjoyed it for the most part, and then gave up on it once Power Rangers became the thing to watch… and also, Batman: The Animated Series was also a thing… and also Spider-Man… and eventually, Superman… and… you get the idea.

Hell, I hadn’t even watched anything from the last couple seasons of the show until a few years afterwards, where I had noticed a drastic drop in the overall quality of the animation and it seemed to have suffered from the Captain Planet syndrome of cheap-as-shit animation in the latter years of its run. That said, I have been keeping up with the plot threads going on in that show and given the direction that it took several characters and some of the stories that it’s been aping as of late, let’s just say that I’m in no hurry to get back on that particular bandwagon anytime soon.

Yes… I Actually Saw The Flash…

So my brother and I went to see the Flash… he wanted to go, asked if I was interested, and I said… “sure.” Even though I said, I had no real incentive to go myself, I did say that unless there was a get-together and someone else was footing the bill, I’d consider it. So… listen, I gave him a live concert playing Jedi that cost a hell of a lot more than tickets to a movie screening. Although I will consider that the Jedi thing was money well spent, while the movie… I guess we could talk about it.

Continue reading “Yes… I Actually Saw The Flash…”

BOOM Studios Changing The MMPR Comics Game Again… again…

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but BOOM Studios is doing another major arc in their long-running Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic book. And when all is said and done, things will never be the same again.

Again.

It seems like every time I write about the current line of Power Rangers comics, there’s almost always a negative slant towards it. I often wonder why I’m devoting much thought to a series that I do not actively follow or pay much attention to. Every once in a while, somebody asks my thoughts on the current comic and my only reply is to say that I don’t read ’em. Outside of the occasional graphic novel – which tend to be hit or miss – I largely ignore a series that left me with a sour taste.

For those wondering, I was on board with the series when it first started up back in 2016 and I thought, for the most part, it was promising enough. A new take on the original Mighty Morphin series, slightly reconfigured to fit in with modern times (but is still in line with the original continuity – or so they say…), and certainly the writing was a step above the Power Ranger comics that had come before, which were largely simplistic and sometimes inconsistent with the material it was adapting.

About eight or nine issues in, we’re dealing with alternate universes and evil versions of characters. Next thing you know, the focus is more on original characters that feel like they were pulled from the worst dreggs of the fanfic litter and less on the title characters – even then, it’s mostly on the Tommy worship because the guy who writes this stuff is good buds with JDF and that’s as far as I’ll go. Then Shattered Grid became a thing; the less said the better. And then we’ve digressed from the OG Rangers to this hodgepodge crossover group taking place in some alternate dimension and that’s when I decided, “I’m out.”

I’ve tried giving the comic a few more tries… but it’s the same rubbish as before. Hey, we’ve jumped ahead to the second season and we did our Ranger swap… LET’S BRING BACK EVIL TOMMY FROM THE DARK DIMENSION. Fuck off. Then they split the series into two… Mighty Morphin kept things on Earth, while Power Rangers followed our Omega Rangers (aka – the other half od OG Rangers who didn’t go that peace conference after all.) We have another game-changing event leading to issue 100.

And now we have yet ANOTHER major comic event coming up posed to change the game once again… and as I’m checking the previews for these things, I wonder whether they’re going to be upfront about this being its own thing rather than try to gaslight everyone into thinking that this is perfectly in line with the TV show canon, which is pretty fucking stupid at this point… because I fail to see how you’ve got this uber-Rita or Mister Vile or whatever she’s called having unlimited power, but she eventually gets defeated and her plot for revenge is having Zedd fall in love with her and marry her?

Like I’ve said, I tried… TRIED to give it another shot, because they got a new writer on board and I’m sure she’s talented and all, but I’ve read a couple issues and I don’t know what new thing she brings to the table. It’s a variation of what I’ve seen before. New threat on the table, more focus on the uninteresting OG characters than the people that this comic is supposed to be about, Drakkon is a thing once again, more shit about the multiverse, who else can we turn into a Ranger and whip up some shit design?

Is it really sad that the only Power Rangers comic that I’m looking forward to is the one that Pinky is writing up? And I’m waiting a whole year for that… and, by the way, if that thing ends up sucking, don’t think I’m going to shy away from that… but yeah, this current crop of Power Ranger comics… happy to see it still going, happy that it’s got a fanbase to support it, but I don’t care for it myself… do I really need to go back to the fanfic well for my PR fix until Cosmic Fury hits? Do I have to do this shit myself even? Let’s hope not…

Don’t get me started on Lord Zedd was done dirty post Z-wave. It’s embarrassing to even contemplate.

No Amount Of Memberberries Can Make Me Care About This Flash(point) Movie

The Flash movie is a little over a month away from being released… and I am not excited about it.

I’ve already talked a bit about the second trailer that came out a couple weeks ago over at the DTM-Cast – it’s practically the last 5-10 minutes of the program – but I will re-iterate what I said there here. I’m kinda stoked that they somehow managed to convince Michael Keaton to do one last run as Batman and while him being copiously CG’ed doesn’t instill much inspiration, I would be totally down with seeing the dude come back into the fold. Clearly, I’m not the only one; a lot of people are excited over this.

So they brought back Michael Keaton to the Batcave… and this – this – is the fucking movie they decide to put him in.

Forget all the shit that’s going on with Ezra Miller in real life that’s apparently being glossed over because he/she/they/it/shit/whatever scores points on that diversity checklist that protects you from punishment for being an all-around horrible human being. I was never a fan of Miller’s take on the character; I find his/her/their/its/shits/whatevers take on Barry Allen to be annoying as fuck and not in an endearing way. Not even the almighty Snyder Cut did much to fix the issues that I had with this jabron, so to have an entire movie focused on this version of Barry Allen was already raising several red flags.

And then you add in another version being played by the same actor… fuck me, I would’ve been happier if it had been Grant Gustin doing a different version of Barry that isn’t whatever he does on the CW show… or maybe bring back John Wesley Shipp as 90s Flash; fuck that Crisis crossover because I don’t count that shit. Hell, I’ll even take the guy who played the Flash in that shitty Justice League pilot that never made air!

(Fun fact: The Justice League pilot film features a character called Fire, who was played by Michelle Hurd, who is probably better known these days for playing that Raffi person in Star Trek: Picard. The more you know, I guess.)

But on top of all of that, the premise of your one Flash movie that you’ve been trying to turn into a thing for a good long while… is based on the comic book event called Flashpoint, where Barry goes back in time to save his mom from dying and that results in the timeline getting fucked up. And now he has to assemble a team together to go and fix his fuck-ups.

For the record, I’ve never been a fan of Flashpoint; I’ve said as much in the past. So for a whole movie to be based on that is even more a red flag.

But the sad thing is that we’re not even doing the actual Flashpoint story here. Michael Keaton is playing Bruce Wayne, not Thomas Wayne as was the case in the comic. And the big cataclysmic event taking place in this movie seems to be a retread of Man of Steel – except now instead of a Superman, we now have a Supergirl… or a Superwoman… or something? We got a new Super person who probably would’ve been better off wearing Henry Cavill’s old costume instead of the cheap costume they stuck her in. I mean, seriously, this looks something you’d get off AlieExpress for twenty bucks. It’s that bad looking and a surprising oversight from a studio who is usually more careful in how to present these characters.

Also, this thing is dealing with multiverses, isn’t it?

Apparently, James Gunn – the fellow overseeing the DC Universe creative direction going forward – says this is going to change everything. I wonder if this was always the case or something he pulled out of his ass to justify this thing’s existence. And I’m not railing on James Gunn – he produced a couple entertaining films with his Guardians movies and his take on the Suicide Squad. So I want to think he did what he could to make this fit in with the rest of his plans for the DC film stuff.

If only he could have done the same for Shazam 2… hell, Aquaman’s sequel is supposed to be coming up. Does that fit into the grand scheme of things or is it a case where they have to release this in order to recoup the money spent on this thing? Oh wait, Amber Heard’s in that one, too, isn’t she? That’s another one with some issues that are seemingly glossed over, aren’t they?

And people give wrestling fans shit for enjoying people with spotty reputations.

Look, for those who are looking forward to this thing, more power to toy. I hope when this thing comes out, it turns out to your liking and you enjoy the show. But as for me… yeah, unless there’s a get-together and somebody else is footing the bill… I’m gonna pass on this one. Thanks but no thanks.

Same Shit, Different Writer…

I picked up a copy of the latest issue of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic book from Boom Studios. I was a little late to the game, but apparently they’re in the middle of a major ground-breaking, history-defining storyline.

Again.

Let me guess; new take on an old villain, so let’s make a pre-existing character into a new Ranger form, take our old Rangers on an interstellar journey, and then for shits and giggles, let’s bring back that Drakkon character.

Sure enough, that’s what I got in this particular issue.

Apparently, this series has a new writer – Melissa Flores. I don’t know if she did any prior Power Rangers comic stuff in the past – as in, I genuinely don’t know because I haven’t bothered to check – but if her aim was to simply regurgitate what was produced by the previous two writers of this series, then mission accomplished.

People keep telling me that this stuff is better than it was before… but I just see the same shit that drove me away from this stuff in the first place. There isn’t anything that I’ve seen here that I probably haven’t read in someone’s fanfic years ago. Hell, there’s a couple story bits that were even conceived when I was writing fanfics years ago… and some of that stuff hasn’t even seen the light of day.

I’ll give Boom some credit; I’ve enjoyed a couple of their one-shots from their Power Rangers Unlimited line-up and graphic novels. Those are good, quick reads. Hell, I even enjoyed Kyle Higgins’ Tommy-centric one-shot, Soul Of The Dragon, and gave it a hearty reviews – even if I kept messing up the name of the title.

But as far as the mainline comic series is concerned, I’m sorry, but it’s still no buys for me. Maybe the Pinky-penned series coming out next year might change my tune, but for now… morphin time is some other time in some other place.

OG Pinky To Write New Power Rangers Comic

Source: https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/amy-jo-johnson-power-rangers-comic-series-1235569122/

For the TLDR crowd, Amy Jo Johnson is writing a Power Rangers comic book due next year. And also, her not doing the reunion has nothing to do with money. Strangely, she didn’t mention anything about beeswax.

Well, she might not be doing the special, but she’s there in spirit.

Shazam Underperforms At Box Office… What Did You Expect?

So the new Shazam movie came out this past weekend.

Raise your hand if this is a surprise to you because it sure was to me.

Unlike the first movie, which had a bunch of press behind it, this “Fury Of The Gods” film went under the radar. Nobody talks about it, nobody is promoting the thing, nobody is marketing the thing, and as such, nobody knows that it’s a thing that exists until it’s already out. I didn’t know the movie had been released until someone I subscribe to on Youtube did a review on it. At first, I thought they got an advanced screening or something, but nope. Turns out the movie has been out since Friday.

Well, color me (not) shocked, but apparently Shazam underperformed at the box office. I won’t speak to the quality of the film since I have not seen it – reactions have been mixed, with critics not caring for it, but the audiences enjoying it – but in regards to the film not being an instant money maker without any kind of marketing machine behind it, only one thing comes to mind…

What did you expect?

Listen, you assclowns. If you’re going to spend money on this big blockbuster motion picture, then you need marketing. Yes, that costs some money, but at the very least, people will know about your movie and any failure at the box office can at least be attributed to lack of interest as opposed to lack of marketing. I get that there’s a big reboot of this whole universe coming up and this is being thrown under the bus as a result despite the higher ups claiming that they’d like to retain the Shazam crew for future projects if this does well.

Look, I enjoyed the first Shazam film. I thought it was a fun little superhero movie released during a time when genuinely fun superhero movies from DC were an endangered species. This second film looks to be more of the same – for better or worse – but it’s not high on my list of must-see movies. I’ll wait until it hits DVD.

And no, the Rock refusing to cameo in the movie is NOT the reason for its underperformance. Last time I checked, Black Adam wasn’t exactly a box office winner, either.

Yeah, so… bye.

The Rumored Superman Film And The Trap It Faces

This is a rough transcript of something I talked about on the last episode of the DTM-Cast, but for those who want a more clear descriptor, here it is. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I try my best to explain it, but otherwise, there are places that could bring you up to speed better than I could.

Continue reading “The Rumored Superman Film And The Trap It Faces”

Why Are You Giving Miles Morales Clones?

So apparently, Marvel Comics… yes, they still do comics. Largely terrible ones, these days, but that’s besides the point.
So Marvel has decided that their Miles Morales character needed more classic Spider-Man failures to certify his status as a Spider-Man for all people and are going to give him his very own Clone Saga… because everyone loved the first Clone Saga so much, it drove Marvel into bankruptcy.
Look, I’m largely unfamiliar with the Miles Morales take on Spider-Man. I’ve only read a couple issues and also that Spider-Men mini from a couple years back. Seems like a pretty cool character and I even saw that Spider-Verse movie where he played a focal point and was subsequently the best part of the movie. I’ve got no ill towards anybody trying to give Miles as many Spider-Man tropes as they can, even if I don’t believe it necessary. Let Miles stand on his own and forge his own path.
But… if you are going to recycle old Spidey bits, can’t you do recycle something that isn’t total shit? The Clone Saga was one of many, many, MANY stupid decisions that Marvel made in the nineties and none of that stuff was ever any good. So to give Miles that similar idea (if not execution) is just… well, it’s so Marvel, I guess.
I don’t know. Maybe it’ll be good, but I doubt it. Like I said, a lot of Marvel stuff these days outside of their earliest MCU flicks have been kind of trash and I don’t have high hopes for this one.
Oh well… good luck, Miles. You’ll need it.