Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I finally sat down and watched Spider-Man 2 tonight, because when talking about how much I loved Iron Man, some people said this was better. About 40 minutes in, KC and I looked at each other and said “THIS is supposed to be the best superhero movie ever?” We’d just watched Doctor Octopus, having newly gained his arms, stagger out of the hospital after killing everyone, and neither one of us knew what emotion he was supposed to be feeling […]
Read more
According to today’s NY Times, Warner will be releasing a straight-to-DVD animated movie tentatively called Tales of the Black Freighter five days after Watchmen opens in theaters. It “follows a side Watchmen storyline about a shipwreck… The DVD will also include a documentary-style film called Under the Hood that will delve into the characters’ backstories.” The story postulates these kinds of promotions as a way to attempt to reverse soft DVD sales — last years’ figures declined for the first […]
Read more
I knew there was a Honey and Clover live-action movie, although I haven’t yet seen the DVD, but I was surprised to find that there was also a live-action TV show. It ran 11 episodes earlier this year, and so far (two in), I like it better than the manga. Pictured, by character name, clockwise from top: Morita, Mayama, Takemoto, Hagumi, Yamada Mainly that’s because with actors, things aren’t so exaggerated. Hagumi isn’t so young-looking or ethereal as to be […]
Read more
Out Tuesday on DVD was the live-action version of Honey and Clover (subtitled). I’m curious about it. I enjoyed reading the manga, but I suspect seeing the characters “in person” would make them even easier to relate to (and distinguish). The plot is the same — college students find love and make life decisions while pursuing their art. However, in the manga, the childlike Hagumi appears elfin and blonde. Based on pictures, in the movie, she still looks young and […]
Read more
Simply put, this is the best superhero movie ever. I realized, watching this story of a self-obsessed super-rich genius, that the problem with most superheroes is that they’re completely egotistical. Most can do things no one else can, so there’s some justification for it, but all believe that they’re above the law and a force unto themselves. Iron Man brings that superhuman approach down to the realistic level, because its lead character has always been that way, and so there’s […]
Read more
The next original animated DC Universe movie is Batman: Gotham Knight, and Warner has just announced that its world premiere will be at Wizard World Chicago on June 28. The evening showing will be followed by a panel featuring members of the film crew and cast, including legendary animation producer Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier), acclaimed comics writer Brian Azzarello, and Emmy Award-winning television writer Alan Burnett. This movie consists of six short films set between […]
Read more
Review by KC Carlson There must be crazier things to do than trying to adapt a critically acclaimed — as well as beloved — 400+ page graphic novel into a 75-minute animated film, but I can’t think of any. But that’s exactly what has been done with Justice League: The New Frontier, the seminal work by artist and writer (and occasional animation creator) Darwyn Cooke, which will be released in a myriad of DVD formats next Tuesday, February 26. And […]
Read more
You’ve probably heard that 30 Days of Night is opening this weekend, based on the comic franchise of the same name. (10-Second Comic Review: clever concept, paled quickly, most memorable to me because I sold my original miniseries copies on ebay for over $100.) Movie reviews are all over the board, with horror fans seeming much more charitable than those from the general audience. I won’t be seeing it. What am I interested in seeing, if it comes to my […]
Read more