Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #14 - A Review

Still trapped in Canada - albeit the southern part where there's Wi-Fi and skyscrapers and most of the trappings of civilization - Squirrel Girl and company still need a plan to stop the self-cloning Enigmo from taking over the world. The good news is they've found the original Enigmo, who is actually a decent guy and wants to solve the problem of his evil clones without violence. The bad news is... well, they still have an army of evil clones to stop and no assets apart from a bunch of physics-breaking Pym Particles, a Nihlistic robot with a human brain, an awesome squirrel, an awesome mom, an awesome roomate and a socialist government that believes in fully financing public education.

Do I love this comic because it bases whole plot-points around how awesome libraries are? Yes, but that's only part of it. Ryan North's scripts leave me literally laughing out loud. The artwork by Erica Henderson and Rico Renzi looks amazing. This is one of the funniest and most fun comics on the stands today and you should be reading it.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #13 - A Review

A self-duplicator dubbed Enigmo has taken over the world by cunningly splitting himself into millions of clones and slowly working his way into several key positions. Trapped in the wilds of Canada without a decent wi-fi signal, Squirrel Girl is powerless to do anything.  The good news is that Brain Drain (Squirrel Girl's appointed substitute hero while she was on vacation) has brought her reinforcements.  The bad news is that the reinforcements are Scott Lang sans Ant Man costume and he's a little cheesed about being dragged to the wilds of Canada on account of the whole "convicted felon not allowed to leave the country" thing.

Ryan North is one of the greatest humorists working in modern comics. There are multiple levels to the comedy in this issue and it's impressive how he manages to keep all the gags moving like a master plate-spinner. From the idea of a villain taking over the world through hard work and showing up to the animosity between Doreen and Scott (she has objections to mind-controlling animals, he thinks she's nuts for actually talking to squirrels) and the well-meaning incompetence of Brain Drain whose purely logical perspective leads to totally illogical actions, this series has a lot to keep you laughing.


Erica Henderson matches Ryan North quite well. Her animated style perfectly presents the comedic timing North's scripts require and colorist Rico Renzi does a fantastic job finishing the artwork. Yet attention must also be paid to guest artists Anthony Clark and Hannah Blumenreich, who provide the artwork for one of the series' best running gags - 'Deadpool's Guide To Super-Villains' Information Cards. Get Marvel's Marketing wing on making that product a reality!

Captain America: Civil War - A Spoiler-Free Review

I know I'm going to upset a lot of people with these comments, so let's get it over with.

On the whole, I'd place Civil War on-par with Batman V. Superman.

Now, I see you Marvel Zombies are readying your pitchforks and torches, so let me explain why.

Basically, Civil War has the exact same over-riding problems Batman V. Superman did.

It's primarily concerned with offering fan-service and making references to the comics at the expense of a cohesive story. It requires some characters to act in a blatantly illogical fashion in order for the plot to work. The villain's evil plan is entirely dependent upon coincidences that should be entirely beyond their control that are never adequately explained. And - much like Age of Ultron before it - Civil War seemed like it was more concerned with setting up upcoming movies than it was in telling its own stories. As Batman V. Superman left us more excited about Wonder Woman, so too does Civil War leave us more excited about Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Now with that being said, did I like the movie?

Yes!


Technically, the film is far from perfect.. The first hour drags a bit. There's some incredibly cheap CGI. And a lot of the fight scenes are filmed WAY too close and the jump-cuts went by so fast I thought for a moment the projector was running at a too-fast frame-rate.

But THE fight scene - you know the one I mean - THAT fight scene is perfect.

The acting is great across the board. Tom Holland in particular is impressive and not just because he is easily the most comics-accurate Spider-Man we've ever seen in a live-action work.

Overall, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Good. Not great. Better than Age of Ultron. Not as good as Winter Soldier.

Oh, and one more thing - stick around through ALL the credits. There's two sequences to look out for.

Astonishing Ant-Man #4 - A Review

Astonishing Ant-Man has one of the best title pages in the business. Not only does it offer a helpful recap of the series so far - it also makes you laugh! We should expect this sort of thing from Nick Spencer, of course, but it's still a nice touch.


Spencer understands what far too many Marvel writers failed to grasp about lovable loser heroes like Scott Lang or - until recently - Peter Parker. Namely that is isn't fun for readers to see a loser lose all the time. Keep dumping tragedies on a hero and you destroy any sense of fun.

Therein lies the irony of Scott's life and the secret to his likability in this series - he's good at being a superhero.  Unfortunately, being a superhero doesn't do much to pay the bills and Scott's heroic instincts are about the only thing he has going for him. He stinks on ice as a businessman, a father and a judge of character but you admire him more than you feel sorry for him... even if he has been reduced to working security for an ex-girlfriend and is parenting by proxy to keep his daughter safe.


Ramon Rosanas art is the perfect match for Spencer's script. Rosanas has a great gift for expressions and comedic timing.  The color art by Wil Quintana proves equally adept, with a variety of tints being used to subtly mark flashbacks and other special scenes.

Astonishing Ant-Man #3 - A Review

The good news is that Captain America wants Scott Lang's help with a mission. The bad news (or at least, the bad news Scott is aware of) is that said mission is less about superheroics and more about stealing something and annoying SHIELD - both things Scott REALLY cannot afford right now. And unbeknownst to Scott (but knownst to us), his life is about to become even more annoying and dangerous, as his sworn enemies at Cross Technological have launched their own henchman-recruiting app.


Nick Spencer continues to deliver the funny, as he skewers both modern technology and the Marvel Universe. I found myself laughing out loud more than once as I read this issue. This was due to both the interplay between Sam Wilson and Scott Lang and the mock commercial for Lackey.


The artwork proves equally excellent. Ramon Rosanas is a perfect comedic partner for Nick Spencer and his work here reminds me of Kevin Maguire's work on Justice League. And the colors by Jordan Boyd are well chosen, with the tints used to simulate a phone screen being particularly noteworthy.

The Astonishing Ant-Man #2 - A Review

So... yeah. Scott Lang is in prison. Again.

How did he get there?  We're not sure yet. What we are sure of is that Scott's life was pretty bad even before that happened.

Not only did the latest job for his hemorrhaging security company bring him back into contact with the ex-girlfriend he never got around to breaking up with (Darla Deering a.k.a. The Ever-Lovin' Ms. Thing) but now his employees are returning to super-villainy.  In the employ of his arch enemy's son and brother, no less! And - oh yeah - a spurned stage magician with real magic powers tried to kill him while his ex-girlfriend was in the middle of trying to kill him.

Put Mel Brooks in charge of writing and directing the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film and you might get something as ludicrously brilliant as Astonishing Ant-Man. This series has been a laugh riot since - uh - the last Ant Man series by the same creative team. Yet despite this book being largely a comedy, Nick Spencer still makes Scott into a likable and sympathetic protagonist in spite of some of his problems being due to poor judgement rather than simple bad luck.


The scripts are well-matched by the artwork. Artist Ramon Rosanas draws everything in the usual Mighty Marvel fashion, with everything looking heroic and dynamic... even as Scott is being mauled by bunnies and doves.  And the color art by Jordan Boyd makes everything jump off the page.

The Astonishing Ant-Man #1

Scott Lang's life sucks. His new security business is in the toilet, only hanging on thanks to the increasingly thin generosity of a Golden Age heroine who owed him a favor. And thanks to Scott's efforts to keep his daughter safe by staying out of her life following a kidnapping attempt by his arch-enemy, she's turned on him too.

But things are never so bad that they can't get worse. Because Scott's latest big break into Miami's security market is in peril thanks to the efforts of his ex-wife's new husband. And Scott's arch-enemy - now in possession (if not control) of size-changing powers of his own - has chosen Scott as the target of a demo for a new smart-phone app aimed at the corrupt businessman on-the-go, who needs to hire mercenary super-villains to deal with those meddling do-gooders in a hurry.


Ant-Man is back and as hysterically, horribly funny as ever!  Nick Spencer packs humor into every page of his scripts and this remains one of the funniest books on the market today. Yet there is also pathos and it is hard not to be touched by Scott's plight as he watches his daughter's basketball games in a shrunken size, determined not to miss a moment of her growing up even if he can't safely be in her life.


The artwork aids in the comedic timing of the issue.  Ramon Rosanas does not go out of his way to create funny imagery, merely drawing the action as would be natural and allowing the absurdity of the Marvel Universe played straight to reveal itself. And the colors by Jordan Boyd leave everything looking fantastic.

Ant-Man The Movie - A Spoiler-Free Review

Visually, Ant-Man is an amazing film. There are a number of stunning shots taken from the perspective of an ant-size man throughout the feature that are unlike anything ever before seen on the big screen. It's clear the filmmakers poured over the artwork of Jack Kirby, drawing inspiration - if not replicating specific scenes - from the original Ant Man stories in Tales To Astonish.

At the same time, the story is as trite as the visuals are uncommon, following all of the usual cliches. The villain is a lunatic with no motivation beyond being crazy and greedy. There's a grizzled mentor who sees the would-be hero as his last hope to make good on his own mistakes. And there's a dismissive, hyper-competent love-interest who whips our protagonist into shape, despite being far better suited to be the hero herself.

That being said, two things manage to save the movie despite the formulaic story and a few minor plot-holes. The first of these is an amazing ensemble cast, who make the material work in spite of itself. The other is the moments where the movie breaks the standard Hero's Journey rules to create something uniquely fun. Like the movie being just as much a heist picture as it is a superhero movie.


It's also worth noting that this movie may be the smartest film Marvel Studios has ever made and not just because of all the information about various species of ants and how they might be useful in a fight! This movie takes the trouble to explain why Dr. Hank Pym doesn't just call The Avengers or SHIELD for help regarding the main conflict. And just why Dr Pym chose to give his Ant-Man suit to ex-con Scott Lang in the first place.

Speaking of explanations, I will say that for those fans annoyed at The Wasp not being included in this film... well, trust me, you'll want to see this movie.  And everyone should be sure to stick around for the credits. All the credits. There's two hidden scenes this time and the final one is a preview of what's to come in the next Marvel movie.

Bottom Line: Ant-Man is a fun movie and a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's not without its little flaws but it's a good movie if one looks at the big picture.

Ant Man Annual #1 - A Review

Scott Lang's first employee bonding experience is going about as well as can be expected (i.e. total disaster) when he hears the news about Hank Pym's apparent death. This leads to Scott remembering the last time he teamed up with the scientist who helped him become The Ant Man. And how Hank was kind of a jerk, all things considered.


When Nick Spencer is writing, you can expect two things - an encyclopedic knowledge of the universe he's writing for and hilarity. We see both of these things in spades in this issue, as Scott and Hank team up against Hank's arch-enemy, Egghead.  Yes, Hank Pym had an arch-enemy. And it was an evil scientist called Egghead.

No, not Vincent Price - the other one!

At any rate, this issue is a laugh riot, as everyone snarks on everyone else. There's a lot of jokes about the general insanity of the Marvel Universe as well, with Egghead hiring minions from the local Geek Squad and Hank having to look Scott up on on-line to see if he's still alive. But the action - once it arrives - is equally entertaining.


The art team for this issue does a fantastic job.  Ramon Rosanas and Brent Jordan Boyd maintain the high level of quality we've seen in the monthly Ant Man book.  And Brent Schoonover's work on the flashback section of the comic evokes memories of Jack Kirby's Avengers.

Ant-Man #5 - A Review

With the life of his daughter in the balance and the first villain he ever fought resurrected using her heart, Scott Lang is having a bad day.  Actually, "bad day" is putting it lightly. Particularly since his back-up (i.e. his ex-supervillain employees) decided to knock-off work early...


I've praised Nick Spencer for his use of humor in this series several times in recent reviews.  This month I must praise his sense of dramatic pacing. Not that this script is lacking in humor - it isn't!  But this action-packed issue proves that Spencer is not just a good comedy writer - he's a good writer.

The artwork is equally amazing all around. Ramon Rosanas is a fine artist, capable of portraying the wide variety of unusual sights that this series reqires, up to and including a battle against giant white blood cells inside a teenage girl's blood stream. And Jordan Boyd's colors are equally vivid and powerful.

Ant-Man #4 - A Review

With his daughter Cassie kidnapped and his ex-wife on the warpath, Scott Lang is in dire straits. Luckily, his new employee Grizzly knows a guy from his ex-supervillain support group who may be just the backup they need. But Cross Technological Enterprises is not without its own super-powered protectors.  Will The Mighty Machinesmith Be Enough To Counter The Canny Crossfire?


I had to put this book down several times, I was laughing so hard while reading it. Nick Spencer puts the human back into superhuman, taking the obscure background players of the Marvel Universe and turning them into real people with real problems, thrown up against the insanity of the world they live in. D-List villains are reduced to serving as children's party entertainment while the heroes who can't afford personal jets cruise into battle behind the wheel of a customized van.  Not a battle-van, mind you - just a customized van.


Ramon Rosanas answers this absurdity with some truly amazing artwork.  Rosanas has a great gift for expressions and the best bits of this book involve close-ups on the cast, as their faces contort into all manner of outrageous aspect.  The action scenes are also well depicted. And the coloring by Jordan Boyd is top-notch. This is the finest, funnest superhero comedy since the Giffen/De Matteis/Maguire Justice League.

Ant Man #3 - A Review

Things are looking up for Scott Lang and his new security business, after a rough start caused by the simple fact that ants - for all their prowess in other areas - are not that good at installing motion detectors. At least Scott's new hire - a fellow ex-con costumed animal-man called The Grizzly - is working out well in his new position as a doorstop. And Scott's ex-wife didn't overreact nearly as much as he expected to the news that he's moved to Miami. Now Scott just has to survive another encounter with his sworn enemy (at least so far as he's concerned)... The Taskmaster!


There is much to admire about Nick Spencer's scripts for this series. Unlike the greater number of comic writers today, Spencer thrives on utilizing the rich history of the Marvel Universe. So when a subplot requires a doctor with a particular skill set and a connection to the superhero world, Spencer goes back into the longboxes to find one to fit the story. Little touches like that make the story a little richer and show how much Spencer truly cares about these characters and their stories.  Spencer is also one of the funniest writers working in the comics medium today and the humor of this issue runs the gamut from slapstick to sight-gags with a lot of clever dialogue in between.


Spencer is well-matched with artist Ramon Rosanas in this regard.  Rosanas can manage straight-forward superheroic action as well as talking-head scenes that are low on action but high on people standing around talking to each other.  Rosanas makes even these static scenes interesting too look at, though the best bits of the book involve the numerous weird angles and images that are sure to come about when your protagonist looks at everything from an inch off the ground.

Ant Man #2 - A Review

Having just blown off a multi-million dollar job offer from Tony Stark so that he could be close to his daughter, Scott Lang is in need of a job.  Sure, he may save lives as Ant Man but he does need to pay the rent somehow.  Well, he WOULD need to pay rent if his current domicile weren't an Iron Man action-figure play set, but that's besides the point.  The point is that Scott has a plan to get the money he needs to start his own business.  Now if only he can survive the bank-loan application process, fighting a Nazi robot and a chance encounter with a furry-suited super-villain who mistook him for a different Ant Man.


The script for this issue is a perfect blend of action, drama and comedy. Nick Spencer is a funny guy (his Jimmy Olsen one-shot is one of my all-time favorites) but he doesn't make fun of Scott Lang or his powers as much as he mocks the complications of life in the Marvel Universe. Such as how difficult it is to rebuild your life after you've been declared legally dead and got resurrected by a cosmic event. Yet there are still moments of ethos and pathos, where the former thief finds himself tested by temptation.


The artwork by Ramon Rosanas proves a perfect match for Spencer's scripts.  Rosana has a great sense of visual storytelling and the panel flow of each page is quite good. The action sequences are also well-played and look great.

Dallas Comic Con 2014 - ALL THE PICTURES! - Part Ten

Black Cat, Aquaman and Rogue



Red Robin, Batgirl and Nightwing


Flame Princess


Banshee and Booster Gold


Ant Man


Deadpool and Death


Edward Nygma and Poison Ivy from the Joel Schumacher Batman movies.


Dr. Zoidberg: So all of your friends treat you badly too?
Aquaman: You have NO idea...


The Riddler


Two Green Lanterns Power Up