DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

Part of a series of one-shot titles wherein DC told stories revolving around their biggest characters, like Superman and Batman, wherein they were set during the '70s, '80s, and '90s, DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1 sees a back and forth story between Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen. The issues were told in similar ways to how the characters and their stories would have been done back then, even bringing back some writers and artists who worked on the characters from those times. With this 70s set Green Lantern issue, you have legendary writer Dennis O'Neil telling the story and with art by Mike Grell, both having done work on the iconic Lantern/Arrow comics from that decade. In it, the Green Lantern prevents an alien ship from crashing into Earth while Green Arrow searches for a rogue archer who is hurting anyone who even talks to him. Hal saves the ship and learns that the alien is from the same species as Abin Sur, his ring's previous user, while Oliver figures out that the archer is someone who had attended the same spiritual monastery as he once had. While Hal saved the alien from the ship's destruction and armed soldiers, it had severe wounds from which it could not survive and thus died in a mission of finding a peaceful race. Once Oliver confronts Argy, the rogue archer, he refuses to fight him and finds a way of helping the troubled man. When the two heroes meet each other and catch up on what's happened, Jordan reveals that he put the alien's body in the ship and set it to drift in space while Queen explains Argy's motivation is that he just wanted to be loved. Being set in the '70s and involving both of the green colored heroes, there''re some social issues that their stories addressed much like their team up from that era. The Lantern's story is all about how violence will keep us from attaining peace while Arrow's is the need to help those with mental health issues. O'Neil's writing is spot on at not only telling their separate stories but also the messages they send and how similar they are. My one complaint would be that the Green Lantern story's ending is a little rushed and a little odd, though still gets its message across. The pacing is good and thanks to the editing it knows just when to switch between the two stories without taking you out. The art and coloring by Grell is great, with attention to detail and the right colors to use in its environment. Though for a comic that is supposed to be set and harken back to '70s, you'd at least expect it to look like how it did back then. Regardless, DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s is a delightful and insightful homage to an important era for both characters. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

2. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
3. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
4. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
5. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
6. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

The Personal History of David Copperfield

The Personal History of David Copperfield is an adaptation of the classic 1850 novel by Charles Dickens, though it does take some liberties. Cowritten and directed by Armando Iannucci, the film follows the book's plot very well though certain characters are given different choices and outcomes and having a slightly different ending. Dev Patel portrays the older version of the character who narrates much of the story in first person and stars alongside Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Whishaw. The casting is unique in that characters like Copperfield are played by actors of color from a novel written in the mid-1800s and never feels like it needs to have a reason. Everyone plays the roles perfectly and never feeling like Iannucci's fast and over the top comedy makes them caricatures. While only being in the film in small parts, Capaldi's performance as Micawber is an excellent and wonderful scene stealer. The writing between Iannucci and Simon Blackwell initially starts out slow, and some of that slowness does occur from time to time, but mostly has a good mixture of surreal comedy, heartened drama, and well done witty satire. You really do get a feel of Victorian England thanks to how great the production design, Zac Nicholson's cinematography, and the direction really are. While I've never seen any of Iannucci's past films, I have seen Avenue 5 and can definitely see a lot of similarities to The Personal History of David Copperfield with his quick comedy and often dark, though quirky, drama. Over all: 91%

2020 top list so far:
1. The Invisible Man 2020
2. The Gentlemen
3. Birds of Prey
4. The Personal History of David Copperfield

5. Onward
6. Tenet

7. The New Mutants

8. Bad Boys for Life
9. The Call of the Wild 2020
10. Sonic the Hedgehog

Tenet

Christopher Nolan's latest film, Tenet is a science fiction spy film that takes an interesting spin with time travel. Rather than having its characters use a time machine to go back or forwards in time, they instead use a device that not only inverts the entropy of any object but causes anyone to enter it to experience time in reverse. Focusing on a never named spy, played by John David Washington, simply known as the Protagonist, he joins an organization known as Tenet that uses the entropy device to prevent a Russian oligarch, played by Kenneth Branagh, from starting another World War. As it turns out Branagh's Russian has his own device and with it he's been commuting with those in the future who want to destroy the past. With the help of a mysterious Tenet handler and the Russian's estranged wife, the Protagonist must work whether in forward or in reverse to prevent destruction. Once again, Nolan proves that he can make a huge budget film that's original and without being based on an already existing property. His writing is at times hard to follow, but it's one of those stories that you not only need to pay really close attention to but also can tell Nolan really believes in this story by the amount of detail he puts in it. Though this can hinder Tenet at times, whether through a very slow and prodding intro or too many long sequences of exposition. Even if they can be confusing, the sequences wherein anything involving inversion are all done in an amazing way, especially as very little CG was used. Although there are moments not involving inversion that are just as memorable, like when an actual plane was used to crash into a building. The performances from all the actors, like Washington, Branagh, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki, are all strong. Of all the film's weaknesses, the most obvious is the sound quality as certain things like the music or the sound effects of action sequences tends to be way too loud and can barely hear what the characters say. While not a problem with the movie itself, Nolan's insistence that it only be released in theaters instead of streaming due to the coronavirus makes it hard to appreciate some of his work as it feels he doesn't adapt to changes and cares more for his work than the safety of those watching movies. Tenet is a great example of how talented Christopher Nolan is, but also shows his many weaknesses that he's never improved upon. Over all: 88%

2020 top list so far:
1. The Invisible Man 2020
2. The Gentlemen
3. Birds of Prey
4. Onward
5. Tenet

6. The New Mutants

7. Bad Boys for Life
8. The Call of the Wild 2020
9. Sonic the Hedgehog