Serenity: No Power In The 'Verse #2 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Answering a call regarding a missing friend, the crew of Serenity stumble across a secret that puts all their lives at risk. Unfortunately, their friend learned the same secret and has fallen into the clutches of The Alliance. The future of the whole damn "Verse may rest on what happens next.





Chris Roberson has perfectly captured the flavor of the original Firefly show and has a good handle on the characters. Unfortunately, the story still suffers from the same problems that plagued the last Serenity mini-series - Leaves On The Wind. Namely, for a franchise built on great female characters, the ladies on the cast have precious little to do with the action, apart from River. Zoe doesn't even appear in this issue and Inara - while seen - doesn't have any lines!

A bigger problem is the artwork by Georges Jeanty, which is sloppy and inconsistent. All sense of detail is lost beyond the middle distance and perhaps one close-up panel in four will resemble the original actors from the show. Karl Story and Wes Dzioba do what they can to finish things properly but it's akin to painting a cow pie to make it presentable.

Serenity: No Power In The ‘Verse #2 will be available for purchase on November 30, 2016 from your local comic book store (Don’t know where that is? Here you go.) or digitally via Comixology.com.

Avengers: Age of Ultron - A Spoiler-Free Review

When the first Avengers movie came out three years ago, I was in the midst of a boycott of all things Marvel following Spider-Man: One More Day. I relented only because of my love of Joss Whedon's writing.  Afterward, I agreed to limit my boycott to Spider-Man related materials, since it wasn't fair for me to punish myself by avoiding the works of creators I liked in the name of proving a point against a single publisher.

I mention this because the thing that astonished me most about The Avengers was how accessible it was. Despite my not having seen Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger or anything after the first Iron Man movie, I was still able to follow the plot without any issues.  Whedon took care to introduce all the players and relate all the information we needed quickly and subtly.



Age of Ultron doesn't manage the same feat. How can it?! At this point, The Marvel Cinematic Universe is fast becoming as complex as the comic books that inspired it and to miss one movie is to lose a piece of the puzzle. In this respect, it is a weaker film than its predecessor because it cannot stand on its own merits.

That being said, it does have a lot of merits and the good far outweighs the bad.  In fact, I'd say it does improve upon the first film in one respect by giving Hawkeye and Black Widow some much needed definition. Ironically, the newer heroes don't get that much development in comparison but that may be rectified by the longer director's-cut that has already been promised for the Blu-Ray release.

This is a Joss Whedon movie, so you should all know what to expect: witty dialogue and lots of humor amidst the action. Unfortunately, a lot of the best moments have already been spoiled by the trailers but there are some good moments that aren't. One of these involves the greatest Stan Lee cameo yet and I shan't say a word beyond that.

Well, I will say one thing.  There is a mid-credits scene to wait around for.  There isn't anything at the end of the credits, apart from a note that The Avengers Will Return.

In the end, the best thing I can say about Age of Ultron is this. I had a royally bad day before I went into the movie theater.  Two hours later, I had forgotten my troubles. And once I remembered them on the drive home they didn't seem quite so worrisome.

This movie lightened my heart at a time when I needed a pick me up. And when you get right down to it, isn't that the mark of all good escapist fiction? I think it is.  And Age of Ultron is very good escapist fiction.

Firefly Cast Returns for Firefly On-Line MMO!

Rumors of an MMO based on the world of Joss Whedon's Firefly have existed in abundance for a while. Many Browncoats remained skeptical even after pictures and video of the gameplay manifested. Now, there is no room for doubt. For it was announced at SDCC yesterday that not only is the game real but that the entire Firefly cast would be returning to reprising their roles.

 A new trailer explains it all.


Registration has begun at KeepFlying.com

Serenity: Leaves On The Wind #3 - A Review

There is a certain futility to my reviewing Serenity: Leaves On The Wind.  This series is directly aimed at the obsessive army of fans known as Browncoats and while it is possible for those unfamiliar with the world of Joss Whedon's Serenity to read this book, it isn't recommended they do so.  As such, it hardly seems worth my time to cover this book as those familiar with the show are likely to buy this book regardless of my comments and those who aren't fans of the show won't bother with it.

That is why this month I've elected to aim this review at that small portion of Firefly fans who - for whatever reason - don't read comics and can't be arsed to give a comic book based on a show they like a chance.  Maybe they think it can't be as good because Joss' brother Zack wrote it.  Maybe they just don't like comics.  It doesn't matter.  All that matters is that there are two moments in this book that I think will make every Browncoat say "I have to read this book just to see how THAT happened!"  With that in mind, I leave you with these two scenes.


1. Jayne Cobb trying - honestly trying - to play the sensitive caring man role.





2. Kaylee shows just how much the past few years have changed her.

Serenity: Leaves On The Wind #2 - A Review

Considering how involved Firefly was as a series, Serenity: Leaves On The Wind #2 is surprisingly easy to get into.  While some familiarity with the series Firefly and the events of the movie Serenity are necessary, your average Browncoat could jump in on this issue without having to worry about having missed the first part.  The events of the previous issue is explained easily enough in both the action of this issue and a blurb on the title page.

As this chapter opens, Captain Malcolm Reynolds is a doubly wanted man.  The Alliance wants him for his role in exposing the truth about their crimes on the planet Miranda and a burgeoning rebellion wants him to be their fearless leader.  The latter group has tracked down Jayne Cobb - a mercenary who used to serve on Reynolds' ship - and hired him to lead the way to their would-be leader, little knowing that an old enemy of the Serenity crew is on the trail as well.


Mal, as usual, has bigger concerns than playing "the big damn hero".  First Mate Zoe has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl and while newborn Emma is doing fine, her mother is bleeding out slow in a way that ship's doctor Simon can't fix.  This means a trip to someplace civilized to get Zoe healed and that means risks the fugitive crew shouldn't be taking but can't help avoiding.


Zack Whedon does a fine job capturing the essence of his brother's characters.  This comic reads just like an episode of Firefly or a scene from the long dreamed of Serenity sequel.  The only real problem with the script is that much of the ensemble cast is given little to do and there's too few of the character moments that made the show so memorable.  Kaylee and Inara suffer the worst here - perhaps because so much of their personal drama was built around "will they?/won't they?" relationships that have now been resolved.

A larger problem lies in the artwork.  Penciler Georges Jeanty does some good caricatures of the established cast but their looks from panel to panel can differ greatly.  Another oddity is Karl Story's inks, which are layered-on heavily in the close-ups on various characters yet oddly sparse in medium and long range shots.  Thankfully, none of the artwork is glaringly bad enough to distract away from the story - just odd without being off-putting.

 

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 10 - Not Quite Live Commentary

    No Live Commentary this week, as I was kept late by work responsibilities.  So here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I watched the show on DVR.

0:01: Wow.  An action sequence right at the start.  That's novel.

0:05: Sorry, @AgentsofSHIELD.  Centipede doesn't sound as threatening as HYDRA.  

0:12: Ah, the old "He's standing behind me, isn't he?" gag. 

0:15: Oh, Fitz you jealous little boy, you...

0:16: And finally, after ten episodes, we finally get to hear about the cellist! 

0:17: This is a good scene but that's some of the worst green-screen I've ever seen. 

0:18:What the - are they actually building on a previous episode's plot point?

0:19: And an actual answer to a mystery?  This is almost like a Joss Whedon show...

0:28: Peterson is just what this series needs - a likeable character without a mysterious backstory.

0:39: She really seems to want to meet The Clairvoyant?  Is he Benedict Cumberbatch?

0:50: Kidnapped loved ones. Power and Responsibility.  Now THIS feels like a Marvel Comic!   

0:56: Wow.  Didn't see that coming.  For real.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 9 - Live Commentary

    Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.

0:01: Labratory Accident Kills 4 - how often is THAT a headline in the Marvel Universe? 

0:01: Not @FeliciaDay, but an incredible simulation!

0:04:  Particle accelerator?  Am I watching #Arrow by accident?

0:04:  Magnets, yo!  How do they work?  

0:06: You get more with a tranq gun and a kind word than just a kind word.  

0:10:  I'm sure they rushed this episode with the particle accelerator so they could say #Arrow ripped them off.

0:16: Is it just me, or do the walls of the cell look like old-school TARDIS panelling? 

0:18: Sadly, there will be some explanation for this that does not require a phone call to #DrStrange. 

0:24: You know what the fans really want to see? Simmons using the same hologram interface Tony Stark did!  

0:27: I wonder how frequently The Bus crashing is going to be a thing? 

0:34: #AgentsofSHIELD! It's like #XFiles with... uh... er... it's like X-Files!  

0:36: Oh - put the believer in the light and the Atheist in the dark.  THAT'S subtle!   

0:40: @Sea_Bunker  If that room is so dang secure & protective how come their voices carry through it so easily?

0:41: The walls are made of Vibranium and allow sound to pass through them. #NoPrize #BS  

0:57: Yeah...  really not digging this episode.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 8 - Live Commentary

Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.


0:04: Nice music. This would be really tense if I had any idea what was going on.

0:05: So… origin of Valkyrie?

0:13: Yay Internet, she said sarcastically.

0:15: Hey! It's that guy from Ghostbusters 2!

0:20: So... the sum total of this being tied in to #ThorTheDarkWorld is them cleaning up the mess Thor made.

0:36: I just love how gleefully and obliviously Simmons talks about dissecting a living sentient being.

0:43: You can tell how engrossed I am by the fact that I'm checking my feed and RTing things while I watch this.

0:49: And… there’s Ward’s secret.  I guess. 

0:53: Cross behind Coulson as he talks about dying and coming back. That's REAL subtle.

0:56:Oh... hell. Did they just....? Ok. That was actually unexpected.

0:59: And yeah... something ain't right with Coulson's mind.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 7 - Live Commentary

Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.

0:01: Tilted cam.  Very Joel Schumacher.  Not a good start.

0:02: Looks like they slashed the lighting budget....

0:08: Whenever I see the name Saffron Burrows, I have to remind myself she isn't the daughter on AbFab.

0:12: Oh, Fitz you are so cute trying to be badass.

0:15: Pumping Coulson for information.  This will not end well...

0:18:"He's acting like a robot version of himself."  How would SHE know that?!?!

0:20: Fixing a TV to gain the native's trust.  I swear that was a plot point on Michael Palin's Ripping Yarns.

0:21: No wait.  That was them losing the natives' trust by blowing up a radio. Mea culpa.

0:22: It definitely involved natives, trust and a sporting event!  I remember that!

0:26: Coulson just got an "Out of Cheese Error.  Please Reboot Universe." Message.

0:38: "Is that what SHIELD's all about?"  Uh.. yeah.  Thought that's why you were fighting them before you got caught?

0:47: This @SUBWAY commercial with the @TheHungerGames tie-in is the most tasteless thing I've seen in a while.

0:51: This fight scene reminds me of the final battle from Yor: The Hunter From The Future.

0:54: Totally calling this now - Skye's mom is Mary Parker.

0:59: And... not surprisingly, they are hiding Coulson's injury report from him.  Seems legit.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 6 - Live Commentary

Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.

0:01: #AgentsofSHIELD will not be airing tonight in favor of a classic episode of #AreYouAfraidOfTheDark?

0:03: Rusty? Heh! Heh! NOT A ROBOT!

0:09: At this point, I'm pretty much watching this just to find out what's the deal with Coulson. 

0:12: I got the Big Lebowski joke!

0:17: I'm calling it now - Skrull cattle.

0:18: Okay.  Fine. Chitairo cattle.  Geez...

0:22:Waiting for the dancing alien to jump out of his head and start singing "Ragtime Gal".

0:26: I really hope Coulson is describing Valhalla and not Heaven.  Thor knows he earned a seat there. 

0:34: Simmons, the Wednesday Adams look doesn't work on you. Sorry.

0:37: "I wish it was some super-powered socoiopath."  You and me both, man.

0:42: THRILL as they move petri dishes around!

0:45:Would it be tasteless for me to start singing Freefalling by Tom Petty at this point?

0:51: Hey, physics geeks!  Do a shot for every law that's being violated by this sequence! 

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 5 - (Almost) Live Commentary

Due to delays in my getting out of work, this commentary wasn't quite "live".  Thank Ganesha for DVR though, eh?  So here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played... almost live.


0:01: Woman flirting with a street magician.  That should be setting all his alarms off.

0:02: Oh, for Doctor Strange to show up right now...

0:03: Mutant, cosmic rays or magician?  Taking all bets!

0:04: Those can't be SHIELD agents.  No logos on their suits.

0:06: "Go a few rounds..." Hey, they stole that from a JLU episode! 

0:14: Give this guy credit for being smart enough to realize nobody kidnaps you for a GOOD reason.   

0:15: Scorch?  Seriously?  Whoever is writing this has a mad-on for old New Warriors comics..

0:19: And... confirmation that Skye is playing both sides against the middle, at least.  Mayhe.  Probably.

0:24: Amd... yeah.  Busted! 

0:29: And... just like that he's swayed into using his powers for eeeeeeeeevil. 

0:30: He's a Minecraft player!  Evil Bastard! 

0:33: More Extremis.  Geez, couldn't it be something else, for once?  

0:38: Oh man - this is SO not what I had in mind when I asked to be strapped down with two women..

0:39: Trying to avoid the word "mutant" like crazy, aren't they? 

0:42: I cast Burning Hands! 

0:48: Oh, Scorch. NEVER say "Nothing Can Stop Me!" That's a sure death sentence.

0:51: Oh!  They're talking about Skye!  THAT was subtle.

0:53: Hey! Nick Fiury's bar is back!    

0:55: I'm going to call it now - Skye is Peter Parker's long lost sister.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 4 - Live Commentary

Sarcasm and commentary, as the show plays. Here is the archive of what I said on Twitter.

0:01:  Hey! It's the Red Man Group! 

0:02: Boy, the Red Skull's men are cheaping out on their uniforms

0:04: How soon until Agent Coulson starts asking "Are we there yet?

0:08: I wonder how many spies actually DO thank the techies for Facebook making their jobs easier?

0:12: Geez, with all the agents SHIELD has go rogue, it's a wonder they have anyone on the payroll still

0:16: Short Bus.  BWAHAHAHA! 

0:28: I keep getting distracted by everyone on my Twitter feed talking about the #SuperheroesPBS special

0:29: I think the honeymoon is officially over. And here I thought the show just wasn't clicking for me. 

0:30: But everyone is talking about #SuperheroesPBS and not #AgentsOfSHIEL

0:35: Nice to see Coulson getting some development.  Wish they'd do this for the rest of the cast. 

0:38: She just described James Bond

0:43: I'm recording the #SuperheroPBS for later. Have no fear. I just can't watch it now because I am recording a podcast at 8 PM

0:45: Looking back over all this, I haven't really said much about the show.  Says it all, doesn't it? 

0:50: They even put SHIELD logos on the labcoats!  I call shenanigans on this secret spy organization! 

0:51: There is something very Clark Kent about Agent Ward in glasses.  

0:53: And the obligatory hint that Coulson is not Coulson. 

0:55: Okay.  I DO like Skye calling Coulson AC because it sounds cool.  Ha!  AC!  Cool!   

0:58: "When evil villains have superpowers...." Not subtle on pushing #OnceUponATime on the @AgentsofSHIELD fans, are they?

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 3 - Live Commentary

Sarcasm and commentary, as the show plays. Here is the archive of what I said on Twitter.


0:01:  It's US-1, the Trucker Hero!

0:02:  Uh oh. Trucker. Plot involves people becoming invisible. Is this a remake of Riding With Death?

0:05:  The Bus is NOT The Serenity.  Not at all.  Don't even think that.

0:12:  Look out, Coulson!  He's riding Bad Horse!

0:15:  Drinking the wine the kidnapper just gave you.  Not a very smart scientist, is he?

0:16:  It's Wonderflonium!  Do Not Bounce!

0:18:  A Stargate?

0:25: Oh geez... an abusive childhood.  Did this become a DC Comic villain's origin all of a sudden? 

0:29:  And nobody notices the woman talking to herself in the middle of this well-lit party?

0:31:  This speech about government interference in big business sounds better when it isn't given by Rick Perry.

0:32:  Why does Skye's diction sound less natural when she ISN"T parroting a script over her headset?

0:40:  "Saying his name repeatedly does not increase productivity!"  Line of the episode.

0:43:  More excitement in this Hobbit trailer than this whole episode before now.

0:49: GET TO DA CHOPPA!  NOW!   

0:52:  All snarking aside, the gravity effects are pretty cool.  Kinda reminds me of The Prisoner. 

0:53:  Nice job, Coulson!  You just made the world's biggest executive desk toy!

0:59:  I predict this will only lead to good things in the future!

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 2 - Live (But Not Really) Commentary

Due to my responsibilities at work keeping me late, I was not - as I'd planned - able to live tweet the latest episode of Agents of SHIELD as I'd planned. But since most of you would have read the summary of it once I was done anyway, I figured there's nothing to stop me from watching it a few hours later and THEN doing a "live blog".

DVR for the win!



1:48  -  Did Skye steal those boots from River Tam?

5:06 -  Yeah.  Coulson has become Captain Jack Harkness.  Which is not a bad thing to be. 

5:44 -  I know this is hardly an original comment but damn - for a secret organization, SHIELD slaps their logo on every thing. 

9:00 -  More hints about May's past and proof she is indeed a bad ass. 

14:20 -  What about the cellist, Phil?! 

18:23 -  You know what this scene needs?  John Williams music. 

19:53  - Professor!  Lava!  Hot!  Why does nobody ever listen to the scientist who says that touching the McGuffin is a bad idea? 

24:53 -  That may be the line of the episode - "Do you need anything else before I go check on the device fueled by evil that's sitting in our cargo hold?" 

27:01 -  I'm just going to call Fitz and Simmons Quirk 1 and Quirk 2.

33:29 -  Okay.  I take it back.  Coulson is NOT Captain Jack.  Jack would have slept with the enemy agent THEN revealed this his underlings had stopped her underlings.

38:23 -  The Calvary, eh?  Hope that explain that to the rest of us eventually...

43:00 -  Hmmm... 616 code.  Nice shout out to the comics there. 

50:35 -  This would be a much better action sequence if it weren't shot so close to everyone's faces.

54:59 - Drinking in the cargo bay.  Anyone else think they're pushing the Serenity angle a bit much?

55:51 - Annnnd... there's our twist for the next episode.

59:00 - Spoil the cameo after the credits.  I dare you!  I double dare you!



FINAL ANALYSIS: Still developing the core cast past a bunch of Whedonesque stereotypes but still an entertaining hour of TV.

Agents of SHIELD - First Episode Review

Perhaps the most highly-anticipated new television series of the year, Agents of SHIELD has a lot going for it apart from a massive Internet hype machine and thousands upon thousands of Marvel Comics lovers and Joss Whedon fans just itching for more after The Avengers.  With a writing team that includes Whedon's co-creators on Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog and a cast headed by Clark Gregg as a not-yet-dead Agent Phil Coulson, hopes are high for the new series.  However, that optimism is tempered by the fact that sci-fi shows rarely do well on the major networks and that apart from Gregg, most of the cast is largely untested in this sort of program.

Thankfully, this pilot episode largely justifies the fans' optimism.  Unsurprisingly, the writing is smart.  The groundwork is already being laid for a complex mythology utilizing previously established pieces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (there's a direct reference to the plot of Iron Man 3) as well as the original comics.  Several mysteries have also been set up, including how Agent Coulson is still vertical and just why his doctor (played by Ron Glass in a brilliant cameo role) and Agent Maria Hill seem to know some secret about his lucky escape that must be kept hidden from him.   

The rest of the core cast are made up of a collection of  the same quick-witted geniuses with an every-ready quip on their lips that populate every world created by Joss Whedon.  Therein lays the biggest problem with the show so far- familiarity.  There's nothing to truly distinguish any of the cast apart from Coulson from the same character types most of us have come to know and love in Joss Whedon's other work.  Hopefully that will improve as the show progresses but so far we know little about our core cast besides some broad archetypes.

That being said, while the general concept of the show is reminiscent of several other TV series based around secret groups working to protect the populace from general weirdness, the writing so far is unique enough to keep this from being Joss Whedon's Warehouse 13 or Marvel Comics Presents Fringe or even Stan Lee's Torchwood.  It will be worth watching if only to see how they develop it from here.  I don't think this show is quite the revolution fans hoped it would be.  It is, however, a good start to what could be a great series. 

A Firefly Reboot? Hope Springs Eternal At Firefly Panel

* So... yeah. Joss Whedon might be doing a complete reboot of the Firefly franchise and The Science Channel will air the new series, if what was said at the Firefly 10th Anniversary Panel last night is accurate.

While I am highly skeptical of this news and am certain that Joss Whedon was pranking everybody, Bleeding Cool trusts it enough to say that it might happen. That makes me even more skeptical. But what the hell - it's fun to dream!

Avengers: The Movie - A Review

  
I'm going to keep this short and to the point.

Joss Whedon has not created the greatest comic book movie ever made.  Avengers: The Movie goes far beyond that.  It is so much more than we have seen in any comic book movie before now.  Avengers: The Movie captures the essence of everything that makes good comic books enjoyable and conveys it in the form of an amazing movie.

There is action, yes, and it is well-played and well-paced with only a few moments where the CGI is obvious and intrusive.  But what really sells this movie is the characters and the relationships between them.  Whedon's script is full of these little moments - bits where the characters stop being characters and start being people.  Bruce Banner and Tony Stark geeking out in a lab.  Black Widow's silent vigil over Hawkeye's sickbed as she worries over the man who saw something good worth saving in her that she never saw in herself.  Thor's pleading with Loki to put aside his anger for the good of their family.  All these little moments that are nailed by a wonderful ensemble cast. 

This is a good movie.  It is a good comic book movie but more than that it is a good movie.  You don't have to have seen any of the other Marvel Comics movies leading into it - everything will be explained for those who are new to these characters.  The characters are new to one another, so there are plenty of natural introductions as the film progresses. 

My one bit of advice?  Stick around through the all the credits.  There are two extras for those with the patience to wait.

Burn The Land And Boil The Sea - You Can't Take My RPG.

SOURCE: Firefly Universe Online

Just throwing this out there.

Roger Ebert Plugs Avengers Parody Fan Videos

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/funny/avengers-assemble-superheroes.html

Mentioned these before, but there's two new ones they have made since then.

You know... the more I see of these videos, the more I want to see these guys getting a feature, Joss Whedon direction be damned.

Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale HC

BAD THING: The artwork, at times, is sloppy. And the images of the established cast - apart from Book himself - bare little resemblance to the original cast of Firefly. Case in point - does this look even vaugely like Nathan Fillion?

GOOD THING: The art is a bit lackluster but the story is excellent. We go through Book's past in reverse, starting with his death in Serenity and moving back towards his time as part of Mal's crew, his time at the abbey he was leaving when we first saw him and beyond.

So what was his past? Like I'm going to spoil it here. But trust me - it explains some (but not all) of just how a simple preacher could know what he knows about the dodgy side of life and using a gun.



The Final Verdict: If we have to have the mystery of Shepherd Book's past spelled out, I don't think we could have hoped to have a better story than this one. Shame we couldn't get artwork the equal of the story, but if you can look past some questionable caricatures, it's not that bad.