Sunday, February 18, 2018

Black Panther

Having been in development since 1992 with Wesley Snipes at one point considered for the superhero before he played Blade, Black Panther looks at the roots of the character by showing us his home of Wakanda after he was introduced in Captain America: Civil War. Set a short while after the events of Civil War, T'Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, takes his rightful place as king until an outside threat close to his family tries to take over the country he swor to protect. What makes this installment very different from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is mainly in its pacing which was much slower compared to how the others have been made. I noticed that after Ryan Coogler, the director of the film, talked about how Black Panther is the James Bond of the MCU I noticed that the pacing was more akin to the James Bond films than many of the Marvel films. Michael B. Jordan and Andy Serkis make for great villains, Jordan especially after suffering through 2015s Fantastic 4, though I wish there was more of Serkis. The film introduces the rest of T'Challa's family including her mother and younger sister who is lovable and high spirited. It's one of the strongest first solo films that Marvel has produced, despite some small hiccups here and there like not revealing the final Infinity Stone before Infinity War comes out or certain things that could have easily been avoided had there been better conversation. Over all: 96%
2018 top list so far:
1. Black Panther

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1

Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1 is both my first Thor solo comic and the first to be associated with the Marvel NOW! branding. It follows Thor in three stages of his life as young and inexperienced warrior, the modern Avenger, and the older weary ruler of Asgard as all three versions of him face the same threat. The younger version celebrates at a small village over a thousand years in the past after helping defeat frost giants, the modern Thor helped a dying planet gain water, and the future one contemplates about being the last god of Asgard as all three then have to contend with Gor the God Butcher and the three timelines ending in cliffhangers. One of the most notable aspects of this issue is the artwork that greatly resembles something that would have been seen with the Vikings that worshipped the Norse gods. The use of three separate timelines from one to the other is genius at showing how Thor has and will change. The modern Thor finding the dead bodies of the gods to the planet he was helping is both terrifying and amazing to look at. This was the second free comic I got to download online after seeing Thor: Ragnarok and while it does have a different story from the film, one common thing they have is the idea of a dying Asgard in this comic led by an older Thor with one eye and how in the film Thor looses an eye and Asgard is destroyed. Over all: 100%
Top list so far for 2nd set of comics:
1. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1
2. Wonder Woman Free Comic Book Day 2017 Special Edition (2017-) issue #1
3. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
4. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
5. Incredible Hulk (1999-2007) #92: Planet Hulk Part One
6. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
7. Tate's Not At Comic Con Local Indy Anthology #8