Year in Review: 2023

Year in Review 2023

My consumption rate for media and my mental health kind of went hand and hand tumbling down the rabbit hole of reality. I’m not sure how far I fell, but with the death (and second death) of my computer I realized that there was a lot more in my life that I could do or be doing. Earlier in 2023 (maybe even 2022) a friend of mine desired that I write a campaign for us all to play. Now I love writing these adventures, since you can never predict what will happen and where the party will roam, but that’s besides the point. I never had the focus, the time of day to sit around and write, between work and the internet. Mind you at this time I was on a quest to be more internet than man, and succeeded in this falsehood. I am still human (from what my faculties tell me), but I had less of a brain when it came to focus and enjoying the media I was partaking. It all felt more like I was within the cockpit and not controlling the machine. One of the good parts of detoxing my mind from the computer was realizing these moments and tasks that should have been done many times over, but where hushed by my own incompetence as someone consumed with the obsession that is the ever expanding internet. Long and short, my focus for matters of personal gain were shoved aside by my ever dwindling desire to gain it back, I was content in my stupor (what a horrible state). Though with all of this backstory aside we can start the review, since I’m better (to a degree), but getting back to more productive person in my opinion. Update 2024; I got a new computer and it’s been a battle, though one I feel I’m winning (ever so slightly), but I’m balancing life better from my all encapsulating attention machines.

Graphic Novel: Batman Universe

Anything with Batman will get a fine toothed comb, brushing the follicles aside and exposing everything that the Dark Knight should be, well from person to person, since Batman has many facets. And with that idea, he’s the World’s Greatest Detective, a Martial Artist of the highest teaching, and an all around Noble guy, it’s safe to say this story covers all of these bases. This reads like a Batman primer story, a simple standalone that brings the character to the current affairs of the World, essentially modernizing some of the more outdated devices (technology and personality) to the present from his previous update and 85 year old power fantasy persona. Bruce is a little younger, but he’s been doing this for a long enough time in this story. It’s a nice blend between this being his first time fighting the good fight, and finding out about the Weird World of Detective Comics (DC Universe), and not being anything different than he’s been doing for the last 8 decades (and hundreds of Artist interpretations). That’s what makes this balancing act so interesting. How far, as a writer (Brain Michael Bendis wrote this Bat-Tale), do you push the character knowing as much of their own history as possible for the story to make sense, but keep the reader from being bored and amplify their curiosity. In both cases this is perfectly tuned, since at no point I was in a position that I felt I wanted to close the book. Not to mention that the illustrations from page to page, panel to bubble, were immensely detailed and sensationally designed renderings by Nick Derington (honestly the main reason I was drawn to this book). This thrill didn’t stop with the clawing mystery, even the characters, since the cast was expanded to the Bat-Family and the timeline was thrown to a period that advanced the story. Everything felt like an introduction into this new World, though nothing was too solidified that you had to have read something before this graphic novel to enjoy it. It was a sample of everything that one would expect from comics, but nothing felt out of place, since the pacing kept you wanting to push along our caped crusader. Though like most stories there’s an ending, this has that, but it felt like a proper beginning to something more, so that’s why it’s my favorite introduction for new readers into comics, since you will taste a little of it all and we’ll weed out the rest.



Movie: Bill & Ted Movies

This series has lived way beyond its intended decade, and I love it for doing it for so long. Bill & Ted, played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves respectfully, is about two burnouts, not stoners, which a lot of people misplace them into that genre of teenager, who are given a chance (supernaturally/technologically) to be better. They’re more of that friend you have that doesn’t really know where they’re going, in life, or in their career, or currently (the car’s over here!). Though through each feature we see that they help each other and try to find a way in the future doing something for the greater good that they never thought they could be, an acolyte of World Peace/thrall of World Unification (they’re not leaders to me [the movies makes you think they will be one day]). That’s all three movies in one small space, don’t get me wrong, I love these films, it’s where I first found Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, also my desire to see more of their antics like in the movie Freaked (1993). All three of these movies are your classic cult films, the first one deals with time travel, second goes into pseudo-theology, the third one deals with alternate timelines and in a way brings the first two films into the third one as a new wave. Though that was the down fall for me, since the third movie felt more like a second movie to the first and not a third to the series. If anything a parody of the past, but not a progression of time within the present. Long and short, I love all three movies, I can’t tell you how funny the third movie is, it’s the best in the series if you are looking for comedy in your science fiction. To wrap things up, don’t watch them as separate films, marathon them each time, enjoy all the in-jokes and bits that they’ve trailed into the next film. These movies are a must watch, at least once in your life.

 

 

And that’s the highlights of 2023 for me, there was just two standout pieces of media that really captured my attention within that year. I usually read a lot and watch movies, but nothing has within this year (2023) brought me as much enjoyment as this two notes. Anyhow, 2024 shows a lot more promise than its predecessor. Hope you’ve enjoyed this novelty review more articles to come with a New Year on the horizon.

Justice League/Power Rangers

 Power Rangers/Justice League

Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Stephen Byrne
Published by DC Comics & BOOM! Studios

 Here’s a softball on getting me to read anything, do a crossover. Though here’s the catch, you want me to buy the book (instead of using the library [Inter-Library Loans are your friend]) make it weird. Here’s an example, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and [Blank]. It’s really that easy, so far I have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles filling that blank spot (and Godzilla [seems to be a theme, I really enjoy giant reptiles {though is Godzilla an Amphibian}]). Anyhow that’s why I talked it over with my local library and they assisted me with procuring a copy of the newest Justice League crossover; guest-staring the Power Rangers. I just heard the title and wanted to consume this book the instant it reached my hands! Since both sets of characters I really enjoy, so why not watch them run through the trope and cliche handbook, it’d’ll be a fun time. And it was, though it was like a ride at an amusement park that had lines a little too long for the amount of adventure and excitement at the end. Though while we’re waiting here, let me go into more detail about my experience.


Pro:
-Good Writing on the characters for both publications

When dealing with multiple sources of Intellectual Properties you really want to find a blend between them, though that can always be a challenge given the amount of members within a cast. If you have ever tried to be within a crowd and have your voice heard you’d know that if the speaker of the room doesn’t allow others to speak then no one speaks. This is the same thing when it comes to comics or movies or any type of media when there’s a large cast. Some people are focused on more than others, that in itself is a problem, since Intellectual Properties have property owners that want their star to shine. That’s one of the hardest things within this piece, there’s a lot of moving parts that need more definition or a more simple plot. Not one character was written poorly, since they all fit into the mold of who they are and should speak or act like, between both sides of the publication. In the entirety of the six issues there wasn’t a person that was left out of place, drawn or written.


Con:
-Focused WAY too much on Superman

Though my hardest criticism is not within the story, since it’s fair and interesting, but the use of the cast, or to better define the size of the cast. The magnitude of events were too great for the amount of characters needed to foil the villains, or the amount of issues were too slim to fully realize the story to it’s potential. What I keep skirting around is, the plot succeeded in giving the good guys something to do and work toward a common goal, but it felt like a lot was happening, though nothing completed. Most of the story was focused around Batman and Zach (at first), though interesting characters, the drawback was it didn’t reflect their personalities established here. The ties that centered them to each other didn’t knot. And at times we just left that plotline to focus on whatever Superman was doing in the moment. At times, it felt like there were more hands adding ingredience than plating dishes.

Also the main villain Brainiac switching with Zed, who started as the central villain. Brainiac was a good choice, though not for Zach and Batman (the story’s focal characters) this was more of a villain for Billy and Cyborg, since a lot of the problems were solved with super science, than with might or skill. Then we have the Dino-Bots, which were there, then disappeared, once Brainiac was in the picture more prominently. Zed was the inaugural villain of the limited series, but not really there. It was weird that a highly intelligent being of magic was more of a laky to another being that was not his superior, in strength nor abilities, mystical or tactical. I felt that Zed was the least defined character in the limited series, which kind of bothers me the most, since the heroes need a reason to stop a common enemy, so they can work together. This felt less like Zed and more like Goldar, though they needed a means to connect both Worlds. Zed felt less like his true form and more like a vehicle for the Rangers to meet the League. Goldar would have been the better choice for a blind follower, but a fix that might be too dramatic for the plot at hand.

Fix:
-Change the villains

There was a side plot that I thought could have been explored a little more, though with the remaining issues of the comic it wouldn’t make the page count for the amount of action that still needed to be taken by our heroes. Though I’d like to talk about it here, within the “Fix”, since this would change the whole dynamic of the comic and avoid any real change to the villains in whole. The Artificial Intelligence philosophy bridge, that’s what I’m coining it, so here’s my two-cents, enjoy. Pretty much, we have Alpha-5, Brainiac, Cyborg, and Billy (the Blue Ranger), they’re all communicating to each other about the idea, since the curiosity of Brainiac was peeked with the interaction of Alpha-5. The possibilities that Brainiac saw, I feel, will one day lead to the Brainiac that we’ll see in the future for Legion of Superheroes, but that’s a tale for another day. No, today we have two Artificial Intelligence Automatons, a Cybernetic man, and a teenager that “Does Machines” (borrowing that one from a Turtle), all of who have shown within this limited series can understand the basics and practical application of inter-dimensional travel chatting about the possibility of having thinking machines beyond the two functional beings posing logical conclusions. It’s maybe my favorite part of the book and it wasn’t explored enough.

Anyhow, that’s how I’d fix the book, focusing on these four talking it out, debating on the nature of what it means to be Artificially Intelligent and having organic thoughts, while reflective battles are happening on Earth. In short, I’d dial back the interaction between the Justice League and Power Rangers, showing a plot-A (main-plot) and plot-B (sub-plot). Plot-A being that of the conversation between our main villain (Brainiac) debating with our heroes (Cyborg & Billy), though here’s the interesting part Alpha-5 as a neutral party. Since for the most part Alpha-5 isn’t the first Alpha and won’t be the last Alpha for the Rangers, meaning the stakes are meaningless, but his friends (the Power Rangers) are important to him. Which again is a powerful sentiment and statement coming from a robot, that Brainiac has the most curiosity from, since emotions are a mystery to him at this time. Again this would all be a great background fight between what it means to be human and have all four of them verbally battling for the planet, while the Justice League and Power Rangers fight Zed and his cybernetically powered army. Long and short for the B-Plot, they’re fighting and there’s only one thing that can stop the army and it’s forming a giant robot with a sword, but it’s being hurled by Superman and has Batwings, sure why not, it’s all a formality to keep the pacing of the comic so it doesn’t dry out with the Artificial Intelligence talk. Toss in fanservice, like Batman in a Ranger costume or Wonder Woman using the Power Daggers in a fight, it doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, since there’s about six issues and two of them can be summed up with being a Prologue and an Epilogue. Four of which will be action and conversations on moral judgement with a splash of armchair philosophy.

This is my fix, it’s not THE fix, but it’s how I would change the elements within the story to reflect the basic problems I have. So no focus on Batman and Zach, less Superman, and more text boxes, again not a fix that will land. I’m essentially saying “Hey, you know the money making characters that everyone wants to see in this limited series, let’s put them in a sub-plot and focus on anyone else” yeah, I’m gonna win an Eisner for writing this book. Though if you’ve read The Infinity War (comic crossover event [from 1992 {written by Jim Starlin & drawn by Ron Lim}]) from MARVEL they focus on everyone other than the main Marvel Characters (Spider-Man is knocked out with Hawkeye within the second issue and is at the Hospital for the remainder of the limited series), they’re in the sub-plot. Everything is focused on Doom/Kang, Warlock/Thanos, and the moral judgement that Warlock made to create these events. It’s a really well developed story about characters making grand gestures and the repercussions of doing so within reality. And I feel that would be perfect for teaching teenagers from a different dimension, through conversations with alien robots.

Closing:
Well I hope this clears up some matters, though I’ve wrote this, read this, and edited it and again this is my mind and I’m screaming into the void on my opinions about fictional characters and how they interact with each other. The whole concept is bizarre and yet you’re still reading. Meaning you’re most likely waiting for me to wrap things up and I will. This comic was a surprise on many levels, it’s biggest flaw was the pacing, but other than that it has a whole lot throw into the pot and there was a ton of flavor, though that was it’s biggest short coming, since there was too much for the spoon. Suggesting that I was expecting a certain flavor, but still had a good bowl of soup, um, comic. Should you read this comic, of course, read, though is this going to titillate your tongue, it may not, but the juxtaposition of Giant Robots and Superheroes is a beautiful sight worth the admission of the time you spent reading.

Shorts SHORT Review: Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye

 Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye

Written by Gerard Way & Johnathan Rivera
Illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming
Published by Young Animal (an imprint of DC Comics)

This is the perfect series for a short review, this is the perfect blank slate series to drop anyone into the World that these characters infest. Since there’s not a hard history on the characters, this soft-reboot will give more personality than the last time anyone of these fictional beings have seen the light of day. What I mean from this brash introduction is that, this story will give you a broad idea of characters that no one really knows, that the fan base is either dead or happy to see their favorite group again. I’m usually in the latter group, since most of the time I enjoy characters that are B-listers at best, though I’m usually reading D-tier fictional beings, since those are where the weird lands lie. And that’s exactly where we are, on this road of redemption, climbing up from grief, and like any comic today, saving the Multiverse.

There’s nothing like a long and short of a twelve issue series, I mean that facetiously, since usually there’s a lot to cover. That’s the thing about this specific series, there really isn’t that much. At times there’s lore, but that’s wrapped up quick, then there’s character development, but that too is given it’s allotted time. It’s not that there isn’t a great story here, but it’s more of a series of vignettes intertwined between a shared finale. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s like a closed question. I ask you something, it’s answered, very blunt, but then there’s the hanging questions that were placed into the story without anything bringing us back up to speed, and we’re hanging there till the end of the tale (still not completely answered, but here’s hoping it’s answered in the second series [Cave Carson Has An Interstellar Eye {maybe Milk Wars}]). It’s small problems, though the pacing is wonderful and the main cast is fully fleshed out, I just feel like there’s more to be said, but isn’t within the pages.

 

Anyhow, Cave’s wife died (it’s page one), he doesn’t have a great relationship with anyone, but then he finds out that fungus people are trying to collect/kill him and his daughter (she’s at college). With the aid of a local vigilante (Wild Dog) and Cave’s creation (The Mighty Mole Mark One) they set out to fend off against toadstool terrors and get into subterranean adventures, well to pick up his kid and visit his in-laws. Also Guest-starring Superman (who might be a hallucination) and Doc Magnus (featuring the Metal Men). I’m gonna stop right there, but so you want to keep reading the series I’ll tell you this, yes there’s an underground civilization, yes there’s a few robot battles, and yes they travel through multiple Earths, but most of all the artistic direction is astounding.

If there’s anything that this series should be known for, it’s the amazing colors, the stupendous illustrations, the phenomenal page structure, and all of it locking together in a functional way that doesn’t take away from the story, but makes you want to see more on the next pages and what’s in the next issue. This is not a series that has everything, it hits the right moments, it gives you that desired high while reading a comic, it has all of those experimental and creative points that will keep you reading again and again (just to see what you missed the first read). Though it feels like this was a pitch intended for a different purpose and it became a comic. In short, I enjoyed it, so why not unearth this tale and read it, there’s so much humor and weirdness that it needs to see the light of day.

I trust you enjoyed the inspection, thank you for reading.
Support the creators, check out your local library, and contribute to community comic and book shops.
If you want to stay up to date on my reviews, be here next year.
Keep well and Stay well.

Quick Quips: Aquaman

Quick Quips 
Aquaman (2018)

Buzzword synopsis: Think Thor meets the Little Mermaid, though with a bit of Indiana Jones to extend the plot and Star Wars: Episode 3 to conclude the feature.

Hyper_Blurb:
Long and short this is the origin story of Arthur Curry (they never say his full name), I don’t like origin stories, but this is a well done one, since it doesn’t drag on. The story opens with Arthur’s Mom, the Queen of Atlantis, half-alive and on a rocky shore, saved by Mr. Curry the Lighthouse keeper. They fall in love and have a child, though this happiness doesn’t stay as time moves forward, though life does not, since the archaic rules and regulations of the past come to the lighthouse, with power-drysuits and rifles. Then here’s the part that is really great, the film goes right into the present, meaning that the Aquaman from the Justice League movie in his showboating glory, and in his half-sober vigilantism, saves a submarine from pirates. This is where a major plot point is made in the feature that Arthur needs to make better moral choices and that’s how this character arc begins. That’s where I’m leaving the plot, since it’s totaled with;
Mera: “Arthur you must take the crown”
Arthur: “No”
Orm: “I hate you and all the people on the surface!”
Arthur: “I will take the crown”
Oh spite and magic tridents, also a Kaiju just to throw in some fun weirdness that is greatly needed in Superhero movies that haven’t really been seen. I mean it, the second half of the movie is just a bizarre feature. The one thing that I loved the most was the whole Wire-fu scene underwater, that reminded me of classic DragonBall tournament episodes or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Long and short, this was a fun film, a flick that I hope will make more movies and inspire even more superhero films, or otherwise.

 




Pitch: Washed up hero floating around, unable to feel connected to those on land nor in water, till tradition, morals, and family move him to quest for the one thing that will save all of the World and be the King of legend.