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Hi there folks. As of last week I’m officially starting on my final paper which will be quite a handful of work. So I wanted to let you know that I will probably only have time for one post a week, maybe two if I manage to free myself for a few minutes. Of course with only two people working on this site, this will mean that there will not be as many regular contributions anymore. If any of you however is interested in contributing to the page, or becoming a regular writer for this blog then just let me know.
All of you who have followed my reviews of this mini-series are probably aware of the fact that I really enjoyed the ride so far and was looking forward to the conclusion in this final book of the series. But the only thing I can say after finishing it is: What the hell?
Maybe it is that Mark Millar had not enough room in the last issue to fit in the ending of the story he had invisioned or it is just so wacky that it felt a bit out of place. I for my part am not at all satisfied. Sure the ending makes sense, but everything else about the issue was wrong. First off all, the art was not as good as in the previous issues, and it looked rushed and sloppy at certain places. Then there is the try to finally put some explanations into the “mystery” of the tale, which gives the impression of being a last minute addition, to complete the story. When Toby gets back with the superheroes, they kick the villains asses, we learn who really was behind the invasion and that’s it. Boom, Game Over!
Story 4, Art 5, Reread 6, Overall Score 5
For a series that puts so much emphasis on the era in which it takes place and tries to give you the feeling of being a child again, hiding under your covers with a flashlight and your favorite comic book, the ending just doesn’t fit. Still all in all Marvel 1985 was quite enjoyable, and the final pages (which take place in Toby’s adult life) round the story off nicely.
Although the first appearance of Mickey Mouse was actually in the short animation Plane Crazy, which was released on May 15 1928, the Walt Disney Company has always stuck with November 18, 1928 (the release date of Steamboat Willie) as the official birthdate of their popular cartoon figure. Without this iconic character there might not be any modern animation films.
So we here at Comic(s) Relief wish you a happy eightieth birthday Mickey and many happy returns!
I just came to read the first issue of the well known cybernetic policeman and his fight against crime and injustice. The story is by Frank Miller, the art by Juan José Ryp and the colors by Nimbus Studios.
The streets are overrun with theft and murder. The only cop still working is the tin man. And in this time, when morals are at the lowest and the media won’t even spread the slightest amount of love and compassion, Robocop does his job with a lot of precision and brutality. Being the only cop on duty, there just isn’t any time for the velvet glove.
The graphic style of this comic is very jiggered and brutal. The pictures seem overloaded at times but that only underlines the chaos that is reigning in the city. The style may seem naive at first, but with the brutal scenes, the advantages of the style become apparent. Enjoy!
Story 6, Art 7, Reread 6, Overall Score 7
Malik
Pixar did it again. Most of you will probably have seen their previous films like Monsters Inc. or The Incredibles (as superhero fans you should at least have seen this one) and are probably by now familiar with the unique perspective of the Californian creative team. Their movies combine adult and child friendly entertainment in a way that is never dull for either side. So it is no surprise, that WALL-E does again just that.
Of course not only the children among the viewers will respond to the cute and cuddly look of the little robot protagonist, but that’s not what makes WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) so unique. He is the last of his kind on the planet Earth and he passes his time by compressing waste to little cubes, which he stacks on top of each other in order to create enormous structures. While the other robots of his class seem to have stopped working over the years, WALL-E has managed to stay “alive” by repairing himself. Over time he also seems to have developed a personality and he has started to collect trinkets of all kinds in his hangar. All is normal in the mechanical workers life, when suddenly a spacecraft appears out of nowhere and releases another robotic unit on the earth’s surface and WALL-E’s repetitive life suddenly takes a surprising twist.
As I said before, not only the visual component is responsible for the movie’s success, but the creators are also trying to raise awareness by tackling an important question of our everyday lives. What happens to all the waste we produce everyday and where will it lead us if we don’t start to pay attention to our environment? Sure, the movie will not give a perfect answer to these questions and it will only graze the surface of the real problems, but at least it has a message in it, which most entertainment directed at children seems to lack these days.
The only thing one might reproach the movie is the lack of dialogue in the beginning. It sadly dumbs down the whole experience a little even if it fits the story. But that’s not really a big deal and all in all WALL-E is one of those films you can show your kids without a speck of doubt on your mind. And of course the humor and stunning visuals will also keep the adults entertained for many viewings. Two thumbs up!
WALL-E at the Internet Movie Database
WALL-E at Rotten Tomatoes
With the recent crossover of Fray and Buffy in the eighth season of Buffy – the Vampire Slayer, I thought it might be nice to reread the eight issue Fray mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2001 to 2003. At the time Joss Whedon’s vampire sagas were still running strong on the WB network, but the comic medium would allow him to realize big budget scenarios on a small scale. As the story in Fray takes place more than 200 years after the events of Buffy and Angel, the comic book is the perfect medium for such a futuristic setting.
The heroine of this piece is called Melaka Fray the first slayer to be called since all of the demons and magic were banished from the world. She works as a thief and has no idea of the role she will soon play in an almost apocalyptic battle. When a demon turns up at her doorstep and explains to her that she is the Slayer, she at first doesn’t believe him. Only when she discovers that the Lurks, who she thought were crazed junkies, are in fact descendents of the vampire race, she accepts her calling and prepares to fight in the coming battle. However Mel is quickly more involved in the new vampire uprising than she could have ever imagined, when somebody from her past suddenly reappears.
Karl Moline, who is currently working on Buffy Season 8 was the artistic choice of Whedon and even though his style is a bit too cartoony at times, his depiction of the future is still stunning and incredibly detailed. Fray is very much worth a read, especially if you want to understand Melaka’s world better, while reading the new Buffy season.
Story 7, Art 8, Reread 7, Overall Score 8
I have seldom been so bamboozled than the time I read the TPB of Emperor Joker. The reader is thrown into a story “in medias res” and it takes a while to know what is going on. Considering the fact, that Superman is incarcerated at Arkham Asylum and that he has been convicted of murdering Lex Luthor, it is no wonder that you might be a bit confused during these first pages. Of course he escapes to clear his name, but then Bizarro #1 enters the scene to save the day and bring Superman (murderer and menace to society) to justice. If you are asking yourself what kind of nonsensical story this is, the writers did their job. The new JLA is formed out of supervillains, while the former heroes are considered to be the bad guys. However the explanation for this disaster is not as straight forward as Superman initially thinks. The title of the paperback already hints at this, but it takes four issues to make everybody realize that the world is upside down because the Joker has gained the powers to alter reality as it pleases him, which quite frankly is insane. He tricked Mxyzptlk into giving him his powers and from that moment on turned the world into his own private hell. It is now up to Superman to help his former allies to remember that they once were Earth’s biggest heroes and to put Joker back into his place.
The writing team includes Jeph Loeb, J.M. DeMatteis, Joe Kelly and Mark Schultz, which is by itself already a guarantee for entertainment. Coupled with the artistic talents of Ed McGuinness, Mike Miller, Doug Mahnke, Kano, Duncan Rouleau, Todd Nauck, Carlo Barberi and Scott McDaniel, Emperor Joker turns into one of the funnest stories I have ever read. The sheer amount of insanity that makes the Joker so unique is perfectly mirrored in his recreation of the universe. Every neurosis and mad quirk is present and every homicidal fantasy comes to life. It will truly take a man with Superman’s leadership capabilities to bring down a Joker with the powers of a God.
Story 9, Art 8, Re-read 10, Overall Score 9/10
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