Silver Surfer: Requiem

Marvel Comics has released a new four-part series starring the Silver Surfer, titled "Requiem." The series, written by J. Micheal Stracynski (Known best for his work on Amazing Spider-man) and illustrated by Esad Ribic, follows the Surfer through what we're told to believe are his finals days. In the first issue, it was revealed that the outer Shell of the surfers body, which is what keeps him immortal, is starting to decay. Watching the Surfer accept his fate with knowledge and understanding is what makes this series so interesting.

Stracynski has done a great job with the first two issues showing the Surfer as both upset and grateful for all the time he's been able to spend in the universe. Also, issue #1 is a great bridge that shows the Surfers origins and how he went from being Norrin Radd, to Galactus' silver surfing herald.

The Surfer is by far one of Marvels most unique characters, and this is by far one of Marvels most unique books on the stands right now. Whether or not the Surfer actually dies will be worth reading to find out.

Watchmen: from one medium to the next

During the filming of the blockbuster hit 300, director Zack Snyder signed a deal to direct "The Watchmen." The Watchmen, written by the legendary comic scribe Alan Moore, is the best selling series of comics of all time. In fact, it even ranks among the top 100 best selling novels of all time. This isn't the first time Alan Moore's work will be turned into a hollywood script either. Moore wrote V for Vendetta and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to name two specifically. And those two films are perfect examples of what can happen when Alan Moores comics are made into films.

On one end of the spectrum we've got V for Vendetta, which was an overall a success in many ways. The film captured everything Alan Moore was going for with the graphic novel. (although of course it had much less material as well) And on the opposite end we have the League of Extraordinary gentlemen. The movie is liked by some, but considered very lackluster by most. Now its one thing for the League of Extraordinary gentlemen to not live up to Moores standards, but it will be an entirely different thing if the Watchmen fails.

The Watchmen is filled with a plethora of characters and story lines, so determining what characters and plot lines to go with is going to be key for the film. V for Vendetta was a great film because it managed to tweak some storyline, and condense the graphic novel so that it fit into a single film while still making sense. This task will be far more daunting with the Watchmen than it was for V.

The movie is still in pre-production, but the big story going on right now is the rumored casting. And so far, the names that are popping up are surprising to say the least.

Adrian Veidt: (Rumored) Jude Law
Believe it or not, I think Jude Law is actually a solid idea for the Adrian. Adrian is supposed to be a good-looking pretty boy whose cocky and self-absorbed. Doesn't that just scream Jude Law? Secondly, Law is rumored to actually have a Watchmen tattoo. So he's clearly a fan, which means he knows how important the role is to the movie.



Dr. Manhattan: (Rumored) Keanu Reeves
"Whoa." I enjoyed Keanu as Neo, but I would never give him any acting awards. He's just not what you think of when you think about talented actors. However, Dr. Manhattan is a stiff, emotionless, and quiet character. Again, it seems like this is the role Keanu was born to play. The real question is how their going to handle Dr. Manhattan in the film. Will they go the way of the X-men and paint Keanu Blue? or will there be CGI involved? This will be one of the more interesting things to look out for. Keanu is also a big fan of Comic books, so he also has background knowledge of the Graphic novel.

Rorschach: (Rumored) Gerard Butler
If you don't recognize who this is, he was King Leonidas in 300. Butler has said that he didn't plan on being part of the watchmen cast, but Zack Snyder seems to be dead set on getting Butler into the film. Now I have nothing against Butler as an actor, actually...I know nothing about him as an actor. But I hate this idea. It's my opinion that Rorschach shouldn't even be a casted credit. Rorschach wears a mask for almost the entire graphic novel, and unless they really foul it up, he'll be wearing one for the entire film almost as well. I'm sorry to give away a spoiler so early, but yes, Rorscach does get unmasked in the graphic novel, but it didn't change the storyline or the character one way or another. I see no reason at all why the mask has to come off in the movie. However, this will just have to be something to watch out for.

Another rumor is Patrick Wilson as the Nite Owl. One key factor that goes against all of these rumored castings is age. In the Graphic Novel, all of the characters are middle-aged, and all of these actors are still in their early 30's.

My 'Dream' Casting call:
As said already, I think Rorschach shouldn't even be a credited actor. I think it would add even more mystery to Rorschach if he wasn't unmasked in the movie.

Nite Owl: Don't laugh, Kurt Russel.
He's the perfect age and look of Nite owl. The only problem would be, Kurt Russel is a little more badass than you'd want the Nite Owl to be. Nite owl is more of a nerd than anything else.

Dr. Manhattan and Adrian Veidt:
I agreed with Keanu Reeves and Jude Law already, and i still do. The two actors both loved the series and read them growing up, so I believe they'd give great performances.

The Comedian: Bert Reynolds.
Yes, he's probably too old for this character, which is a shame. Bert Reynolds in his prime would have been the best pick for the Comedian. The Comedian has a bigger, built body than all the other characters, so whoever plays him is going to have to probably add some pounds in the weightroom. (which is why I originally thought Gerard Butler was rumored to be the Comedian and not Rorscach)

I'm not going to name any actresses, because I don't feel they matter towards the overall storyline. All the women in the graphic novel were emotional, lacked depth, and seemed to cry a lot. There isn't an actress in hollywood who can't play that part.

Norton Mad! Norton Smash!

Next summer 'The Incredible Hulk,' which is not necessarily a sequel to the 2003 film, will hit the theatres in June. And the studio decided not to go with actor Eric Bana to play the leading role. So whose the man who will be playing the nerdy, pathetic and lonely Bruce Banner? None other than Ed Norton.

Norton playing Banner is a match made in heaven. Whether it was American History X, The Italian Job, or Fight Club, Norton has proved he's a fantastic actor who can bring respectability back to the Green Goliath that is the Hulk.

Also signed on to the film is Liv Tyler, who will be playing the role of Betty Ross, Banner's love interest. Louis Leterrier, director of Transporter 1 & 2, will be directing the Marvel Comics motion picture.

Marvel's Civil War

It wasn't long ago now that Marvel released it's long awaited civil war series, which pinned it's most famous superheroes against each other over a peice of legislation that was signed into law by the US Government. The legislation was the Superhero Registration Act, which forced the heroes to answer to the government and give up their secret identities. A line was formed down the middle of the heroes where half of them seemed to be for the registration, and half of them did not. Spider-man seemed to be the only one who was caught somewhere inbetween. This story-arc was memorable for many reason, and it was filled with twists and turns that anyone can enjoy. Not to mention, with so many characters involved, it's almost impossible that your favorite superhero wasn't in it.



The main conflict came down to Captain America and Iron Man, with Cap fighting for the resistance and Iron Man fighting for the registration. The two sides eventually start fighting a war and the city of New York suffers the damages of their battles. Throughout the fighting, many unexpected things occur. Spider-man revealed his secret identity to the world. Something resembling Thor returned, only you find out later that it was an android clone built by Reed Richards, and the Thor clone blows a hole through the Goliath, a lesser known Marvel character that we're all supposed to care about when he dies. The Civil War ends just after Captain America beats Iron Mans face into the ground. Cap was about to deliver the final blow when he realized all the harm he had caused the city and his friends. Cap then gave himself up, and allowed himself to be arrested. The ending was a bit simple, and everything wrapped up a little too easily to make a whole lot of sense. I mean literally, the heroes were all killing each other one second, and then Cap has his revelation, and they all just stop because of it.


That withstanding however, the Civil War was a fun read. It was an interesting look at comic books. It's easy to get swept away into the fantasy of comic books, but every once and awhile, a comic like this comes out. A comic that shows what it would be like if these heroes were real, and they were fighting both for us, and against us. Superheroes aren't real, so we'd never need to initiate a law that registers them. But if they were real, would anyone put it passed the government to do this exact thing?


Rating: 8.4/10

Spider-man 3: A bad rap for an enjoyable film

Unless you've been living under a rock, avoiding every supermarket, toy store, and television, you probably know that Spider-man 3 came out this week. Boasting a stellar cast of Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Thomas Haden Church, James Franco, Bryce Dallas Howard and a budget that seemed larger than life, Spider-man 3 certainly had large expectations to fill. Directed by Sam Raimi, the Spidey films have captured the life of Peter Parker and put it onto the big screen for all the world to see. The first two films were considered major success', and it was believed that the third installment would continue the characters dominance over the comic book-movie genre. The result...not exactly.

The Things I Didn't Like:
Although I am a huge fan of the series, and I certainly enjoyed the third film, there were some understandable gripes about it. The first and probably the most obvious was this, there were too many villains. I'm a huge fan of Spidey going up against all odds and I'm always up for a good "sinister six" issue now and again, but we're not talking about comics here. We're talking about a movie. This movie has the Hobgoblin (Harry Osborn), the Sandman (Flint Marko), and of course, Venom (Eddie Brock). This is fan boys dream, but it's not exactly the smartest move when you're trying to tell a good story and your short on time. The irony of the film is that the villain whose receiving the most publicity, Venom, didn't even have to be in the movie. Topher Grace did a solid job as Eddie Brock and Venom, but the movie might have actually come off better if the Sandman were the main villain. (In other words, if they had gone the same route they did with Spider-man 2, having only Doc Ock as the main villain) All in all though, adding Venom can't be looked at as a tragedy, because Venom is one of the coolest villains of all time. I can't say I blame the studio for cashing in on the villains popularity. In other words, what I'm saying is, this was inevitable that Venom show up in one of these movies.

Gwen Stacy. I love the character of Gwen Stacy. She's pure, she's loving, She's beautiful and honest, she's everything Peter Parker ever needed to survive. She meant more to him than Mary-Jane at one point in the comics. However, the problem is, only hardcore fans of Spider-man even know who she is. Gwen Stacy was killed by the Green Goblin way back in the late 70's. Her death was shocking and it became the most telling reminder of why Peter Parker will always be one of the good guys, because he lost the love of his life to a villain. But Gwen Stacy didn't even exist in the first two films, and it didn't even seem that her and Peter Parker were anywhere near falling in love in the movie. So one has to question why the studio even bothered throwing her into the mix.

The things I liked:
The storyline was surprisingly original. The Sandmans back story in this film is touching, and you actually feel something for the character. In the comics, Sandmans nothing but a criminal out to make money and rob banks for the sheer fun of it, but it's not like that in the film. The film shows that the Sandman is actually robbing banks to try and get the money his severely ill daughter needs to survive. This was a risk to turn one of Spidey's oldest foes into a sympathetic character, but I believe it paid off.

Sam Raimi's always had a corny and fun sense of humor, and he uses it well in this movie. When Peter Parker turns to 'the dark side,' you see him do strange and down right silly things. If your one of those people who wants this to be an ultimately serious movie, then you probably hated the entire 'dark side' Peter Parker completely. You probably think it was just stupid and corny, but I choose to believe that's exactly what Raimi was going for.

There's a lot more that I could go into here, but I'm trying not to give away any spoilers. Overall, i have to say that i thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie. It was fun. I laughed and i was kept on the edge of my seat for most of it as well. The movie uses it's massive amount of characters well, I just think it would have benefited from having one or two less of them. If you go out to see this movie with an open mind and are looking for some action, then you should walk away pretty satisfied.

Rating: 8.3/10

Bender for Blunts...

In Mexico City, it seems, Bender from Futurama is a big supporter for the decriminalization of pot.

Wanted < Sin City

Very recently it was announced that Mark Millar's Wanted will be made into a feature film, and i recently read an article that claimed it will be a comic book epic on the same level as Frank Miller's Sin City. As someone whose seen Sin City, and read both the Sin City and Wanted comics, I doubt Wanted will end up on the same level as Sin city. Wanted, on many...many levels, simply tries to go to far. Whether it's the abuse of curse words or the complete lack of censorship on things such as sex, murder, and bodily functions (one of the villains is actually a living, breathing, creature made of feces) Wanted seems like it's just trying to shock you on every page. Overall the storyline is original and the characters are likable, it just could have done without the over the top gross-out scenes and vulgar language in every sentence. With lines like "I'm the scariest Superf**k who ever walked the earth..." or "Eat S**t and die!" it's no surprise hollywoods dieing to make this a movie. Altogether, I would give Wanted a 7.2/10. It's a decent read, and the idea is good, but Millar just seemed like he was out to prove he could write one of the most controversial comics of all time.

The storyline is a unique one. We've all thought about it before. What would happen if the Bad guys ever won? Take that idea, throw it into a blender with the storyline of Fight Club, and you've got Millar's Wanted. The story's main character is a 20-something year old named Wesley Gibson who works a dead end job and his girlfriend is cheating on him. His father walked out on him as a little boy, and thus Wesley grew up to be a pansy. However, the book starts off showing you Wesley's fathers death. And not long after Wesley finds out that his father was actually the worlds best assassin and had been part of a group called 'the Fraternity'. Following the death of Wesley's father, the Fraternity contacts Wesley and recruits him to take over his fathers position. You then find out that the Fraternity is a worldwide group of Supervillians who took over the world in 1986 and that they've been using there technology to control the world for years. To avoid spoilers, i wont go any further into the storyline. Needless to say, Wesley toughens up, and becomes the Killer his father always wanted.

The movie version however seems like it will be different in several ways. For starters, even though it's only in the production stage, they've already signed Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie to the cast. Interestingly enough, the character that Freeman will be playing wasn't even in the comic. So clearly, the story is going to be different. Considering he was the first to be named to the cast, one would assume Freeman will be playing a dominant character in the film. Since his character wasn't in the comics, it's hard to say what his role will be. Jolie will most likely be playing the role of Fox, Wesleys F***buddy throughout the comic. Wanted certainly has a chance at being an entertaining movie, or at the very least, a summer blockbuster with lots of action to make it worth seeing. Depending on how well they clean up the script (and that will be key to whether or not the movie is accepted in the media) it could end up being a solid flick, but i still don't see it being as entertaining as Sin City.

Kraven's Last Hunt

Written by J. M Dematteis and illustrated by artist Mike Zeck, Kraven's Last Hunt has gone under the radar as one of the best stand alone story arcs for a major comic series. Kraven's Last Hunt shows a different, darker, side of Spider-mans world than any other comic previously written about the character ever has. A much darker side. This set of stories show New York from a darker angle than most of Marvels comics do. Throughout the arc, New York City is a dark, rainy and miserable place, (so i guess you could say this is one of the more realistic comics written) and its crawling with street thugs and villains.


Clearly, the main antagonist in this arc is "Kraven the Hunter" who loses his mind throughout the comic as he refuses to believe that Spider-man is a man, and not some mythical creature. Watching Kraven's mind fade into insanity throughout the panels is a stunning acheivement by the creators, because you're really watching a mans mind slip away.

Kraven is not the only villain in the 6-issue comic however, another villain by the name of "Vermin" is included as well. Vermin is a failed science experiment where they tried to fuse a man with a mouse, who ended up mostly mouse. Vermin eats people to survive, and in the comic he actually eats two people. The story arc is told through the perspective of Peter Parker, Mary-Jane, Kraven, and Vermin. The thoughts and dialogue are written well and the artwork is unigue and thrilling to keep you turning the pages.

As you can probably tell at this point, this isn't your everyday Spider-man story. This is a darker side, a more sinister tale of Spidey's world. This comic sees Peter Parker buried alive, cannibalism, and Kraven's descent into madness all within panels of each other. This story is a roller coaster ride that is worthy of being in the same breath as The Dark Knight Returns. (The best Batman story ever. Written by Frank Miller)

Review Score: 9.2/ 10

"Spyder! Spyder! burning bright. In the forest of the night. What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

A Lucky fan boy gets to run around in the real thing

The leotard worn by the late Christopher Reeve in the original Superman movie brought in $115,000 at auction this week. Interestingly enough, the suit went for the exact same price as the Winkie Guard costume from the Wizard of Oz.

Top Five Supervillains

There's an old saying that a hero is only as good as his villain, but when the villain himself becomes just as interesting as the hero, then you know you've got a good one. Heres a look at my top five villains of all time.

1. The Joker

The Joker is one of the most solid all around villains of all time. He's creepy, he's diabolical, and he's absolutely insane. He's responsible for the deaths of both Jason Todd (The 2nd Robin) and Jim Gordon's second wife, Sarah Essen. He also paralyzed Barbara Gordon (Batgirl). Batman's life has been constantly traumatized due to the Jokers actions. From a character design standpoint The Joker has some very unique characteristics. His green hair and sinister smile could practically pass as trademarks. The Joker will be forever remembered for his deranged laughter and his insane antics that poked at Batmans sanity. He's one of the darkest and most relentless characters ever created. If the Devil had green hair, I think he'd turn out just like the Joker.

2. Venom

There are few characters in comics that could actually give someone nightmares, and Venom is one of them. Venom is probably the most intriguing villain of all time because he's not entirely evil. Venom doesn't believe in killing innocent people, he doesn't believe in senseless violence either. Venom only wants to hurt one person, Spider-man. Venom could have easily killed Mary-Jane on several occasions, but he only wants to kill Peter Parker. Venoms design is perfect in many ways. He's big, he's got killer fangs, and that tongue is fierce. Venom is strong, agile, and fast. He's practically impenetrable. Venom currently has his own series running, and its no surprise. He's not just one of the best villains of all time, he's one of the best characters of all time.

3. Bullseye

The Joker has done his best to destroy Batman's life in anyway that he can, but even the smiling insanity that is the Joker couldn't mess up Batman's life the way Bullseye has ruined Matt Murdock's. Bullseye killed both Elektra and Karen Page, the two true loves of Matt Murdocks life. Bullseye has one of the best origins of all villains because hes a former baseball pitcher with the accuracy to hit any target. Bullseye is pretty much the only good thing that came out of that atrocity they tried to call a movie starring Ben Affleck as Dardevil. Colin Farrell was perfect as Bullseye as he showed just how insane and evil Bullseye truly is. I'm a loyalist, so when it comes to Bullseye's costume I'm a much bigger fan of the traditional blue costume with the bullseye around the head, but overall the design is fairly simple. In Bullseye's hands, anything is a weapon. I'll always remember in Kevin Smith's Guardian Devil when Bullseye ripped out his two front teeth and threw them at Daredevil. Classic.

4.Doomsday

Ok, here's the thing, DC villains as a whole are pretty weak characters. This is partly because the heroes of the DC universe are usually overpowering and far too unbeatable. However, I didn't feel right putting four straight Marvel Villains in a top five list. I'm giving the nod at number four to Doomsday solely based on the fact that he killed Superman. If Superman's the most powerful super hero, then Doomsday must be a very powerful villain. Doomsday's design is creepy enough, and he certainly looks powerful. However, it's such a shame that Batman has such a solid villain in the Joker, but Superman only has Doomsday and Lex Luthor.

5. The Green Goblin

Venom may be the best villain to come out of Spidey's web of bad guys but the most over looked is clearly the Green Goblin. The goblin has consistently been a nuisance in Peter Parkers life, but nothing tops when he killed Gwen Stacy in what is known as one of the most memorable deaths of all time. That single death has forever followed Spider-man and will always remain in his head as a reminder of what evil his villains are capable of. The Green Goblin may very well be the most underrated villain of all time, but any villain who is responsible for the most remembered death in comics deserves to be on this list.



Honorable Mentions: Dr. Doom, Magneto, Lex Luthor, The Kingpin, and the Red Skull.

Captain America: The life and death of an American Icon.

The first time I truly felt the effect of Patriotism happened two year's ago when I read The Ultimates Vol. 1, written by Mark Millar and Illustrated by Bryan Hitch. In the issue, Captain America was discovered frozen at the bottom at the ocean, and when he was unfrozen he awoke to a world he no longer understood. Almost all his friends and his allies were long dead, but he remained. There was a conversation that took place between General Nick Fury and Cap in a cemetery they were visiting. Cap was lonely as he looked around at the graves of those who had passed while he was frozen and he told Gen. Fury that everything he loved was dead. And very calmly Fury responded, "Not everything," as he pointed towards a waving American flag.

Captain America was created in the early 40's (1941, to be exact) by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Steve Rogers was a scrawny arts student who was born on July 4th, 1917. Rogers, who wished to serve his country in anyway he could, was turned away from the army (No, seriously, back then they actually refused people) because of his poor condition. Rogers still wished to serve his country even after being turned away, so he enlisted in a top-secret defense project. Eventually, he was injected with Secret Soldier Serum, it was this that turned him from a scrawny arts student to the red, white, and blue avenger that America would grow to love.

He was, and forever will be, a symbol of American Patriotism. Decked out in the stars and stripes, Cap didn't just fight injustice; he represented an entire nation. From fighting off Nazis during WWII, beating down communism with an iron fist, or even slugging Hitler in the jaw, Captain America has always exemplified the American spirit.

Like most other Americans, I was shocked to see Cap's death. (And most people who tell you they weren't are most likely lying.) Marvel killing off Captain America was equal to DC killing off Superman or Disney killing off Mickey Mouse (ha, that'll be the day). Seeing a character that represented so much pass away in so many panels reminds you of how final death truly is. Once you turn the page on Cap, he'll never be 'alive' again. However, Captain America leaves behind a legacy that only few characters could even dream of.

Fortunately, the good thing about death in comics is that it provides the writers and illustrators new challenges and creative opportunities. Marvel Comics has never existed without Captain America, so it's going to be exciting to see where the franchise goes from here. Will there be another Cap? Who would it be? And what is the Winter Soldier (Cap's former sidekick gone mad, Bucky) going to do now that his idol was assassinated? Only time will tell.

But we can be sure that the repercussions that ripple off of such a strong character's death are going to cause earthquakes.

For now though, RIP, Cap.

"We are told to remember the idea, not the man. Because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 year's, later an idea can still change the world."
-Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

Captain America Leaves his Shield to Colbert

As one of his last wishes, Captain America bequeathes his precious shield to American hero, Stephen Colbert.