Month: July 2017

  • Marvel’s Spider-Man, Origin Part 2-6 Breakdown

    I said I’d be back when all 6 parts of Spider-Man’s origin were out, and here we are! Let’s break this thing down, piece by piece, and see what we’re in for with this new show! I’m starting on Part 2, if you missed my breakdown of Part 1, click here. Alright, here we go!

    So we pick up right after Peter got bit in part one, and he’s discovering his powers. It’s kind of refreshing to see the power discovery/origin phase again, since all the animated series to this point have glossed over it if you really think about it. They all had flashback episodes, but for the first time in a Spider-Man cartoon, I feel like we’re starting from the beginning with Peter and following him on his journey. I also like that Peter’s processing his powers with the 5 steps of the scientific method (that I’m sure we all learned in middle school). This keeps true to his scientific nature and gives this version of Peter almost an endearing personality about him.

    This episode is the Observation phase, and it’s a nice touch to have Peter recording his thoughts; talking to himself has always been a Spider-Man staple. I like the Raimi-trilogy moment where he’s hiding from an Osborn on the ceiling, and let’s not forget that part straight out of the comics where he flips to avoid a car and lands on the wall. And that Spider-Sense effect is awesome, be it a bit intrusive. It was subtler in previous iterations, but at least we’re clear on when it goes off.

    Next we get to the Hypothesis stage. Again, this recording his thoughts shtick they’ve got going is great, and the parkour/Parker bit was a nice face palm nerd joke only Peter would make (along with his baseball touchdown). I would, however, like to take a moment to point out the quip about his web shooters, how if they told time and played music he’d make a fortune. Not only is that legitimately funny, but it’s subtle, which is something we haven’t had in a while from the Disney XD Marvel shows. It’s smart humor, not fart humor, and with that, I think this show can go far. The rest is Peter making shapes and objects with his web shooters, a bit Amazing Spider-Man world in Shattered Dimensions if you ask me, but I guess it takes Peter’s ingenuity a step further, so I won’t complain. And the web slinging bit at the end, pure heart eye emoji joy.

    We now reach Prediction (smart throwing the psychic in there, though I wish it was Madame Web!) This is mainly Peter coming up with a name and a costume, which totally brought me back to me trying to (unsuccessfully) make my own homemade Spider-Man costume! That little Ben Reilly nod was cool, and hey, we hear Aunt May! Still haven’t seen her, or Uncle Ben, which is a bit strange, but they’re choosing to focus on Peter, so I guess it’s fine.

    The Experimentation part is my favorite of these origin bits. It’s basically a love letter to Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie (I mean, Bonesaw Mcgee! Come on!), and I’m all for it! It’s formatted like an episode of the show they made up “So You Want to be a Wrestler”, with backstage interviews, an announcer, and the video intros, which is unique and different. This version of Peter continues to win me over with his lack of sports knowledge and insistence on being a nerd no matter his situation. And the actual match with Bonesaw was cool peek at what the action in this show is going to be like. Peter throwing quips while coming up with creative and agile ways to take down his enemies. It’s perfect, it’s Spider-Man. Now of course, Peter lets the burglar go, and we know that won’t end well, but like I said, this was a 5 minute flashback to Spider-Man 1, and made me almost nostalgic in a way. And hey, let’s not forget about good old Stan Lee’s cameo!

    The last part, appropriately titled Conclusion, is the Uncle Ben portion. Strange, since, again, we haven’t seen Uncle to this point, so the emotional impact isn’t as strong, but kids will be watching, so I don’t expect them to pack it on. And Peter’s reaction is more than enough to sell it. I can’t understate, however, how much I love, love, love the opening to this. Peter stating that the trophy is made of three kinds of metal, then asking “You know else is made up of three different kinds of metal?” And boom! It’s an inspired moment, and one that  drives home the point while punching you in the gut. The rest is by the numbers, Peter corners Uncle Ben’s killer, full of rage, discovers it’s his fault, and accepts that with great power comes great responsibility. Peter’s anger and then anguish at what he did is well represented, and helps me really connect to Peter. I actually believe why he wants to be Spider-Man in the end.

    I think that this six-part origin was necessary, so that when we’re thrown into Peter’s adventures as the wall crawler, we now care about who he is underneath. I find that the best Spider-Man stories are when I’m rooting for Peter, even when he’s wearing the mask. Ultimate took a step back from the Peter Parker aspect, which I think cost the show dearly, and is the reason no one really got into it. But this show seems to be getting back to basics, the reason we all love Spider-Man in the first place, and that’s because when he’s plain old Peter Parker, he one of us. I’m really excited, and everything I’ve seen of this show only gives me more hope. Fingers crossed that this is the Spider-Man show that’ll go down in history as the best!

  • Thor Ragnarok Trailer #SDCC

    I honestly cannot get enough of this trailer! I have to break it down in bullet points, there’s no other way, so here we go:

    • Hulk v.s Thor! The fight on the Helicarrier in The Avengers was merely a taste of what it looks like we’re getting here!

    • Good to see ‘ol Bruce Banner back! It’s kind of great to watch a man of science flying a spaceship and simply having a blast. Also, even Banner knows Thor beating Hulk is kind of BS! One question though, did Banner pack clothes before he went to Sakaar, or…

    • Hulk Smash! Is it me, or does he look more like Ultimate Hulk? A bit of a longer neck, a haircut, those bead necklaces, totally screams Ultimate Hulk. And hey, he’s literate! Considering that Hulk spoke more words in this trialer than in the entire MCU, which up to this point has consisted of: “Leave me alone”, “Betty”, “Hulk Smash”, and “Puny God”.

    • Skurge the Executioner, it looks like they’re skipping the ax and going straight for the guns (which is disappointing because I wanted to see Hulk relieve him of his ax Earth’s Mightiest Heroes style). Although he’s following Hela around like he would Amora the Enchantress, but this movie has enough characters in it, adding her might have been a bit much. I guess Skurge just has a thing for chicks in green.

    • Hela herself looks great. I like that she forms her headdress kind of like Loki in The Avengers. She seems really frightening, reveling in death, chasing after Thor and Loki in the Bifrost, conjuring swords from midair, taking on the Valkyrie! I mean, dang girl.

    • Speaking of the Valkyrie, is was kind of underwhelmed by Brunhilde’s look in the first trailer, but when I got a glimpse of her riding that winged horse, her blue cape blowing in the wind, I got chills, so it’s good to see that she actually armors up and doesn’t stick with that Sakaar look the entire time. But seriously, that army of Valkyrie v.s Hela, I can’t wait!

    • Dang Loki. I hate Loki. But he’s back, and Thor is trusting him… again. To quote the guy: “Will you ever not fall that?”

    • Was that the Fenrir Wolf! Fighting Hulk!!!

    • Why is poor Hogun facing off against Hela alone! I mean, he’s got an army of Einherjar behind him, but clearly that doesn’t work out too well. Where’s Fandral? Volstagg? Did Hela already get to them!

    • Heimdall finally off the dang bridge and in on the action!

    • Thor bringing the lighting without the hammer? Ooohhhh buddy! That was the money shot right there!

    • Who’s the big fiery guy? Oh well, must not be important. NOT! Freaking Surtur! Fighting the Hulk!!! Yes! I am so ready for this movie!!!

    Thor Ragnarok comes out November 3!

  • Brand New Defenders Trailer #SDCC

    A new Defenders trailer is here right of Comic Con! And this time we get a clearer picture of what’s going to bring our street-level heroes together. Sigourney Weaver is brainwashing a newly revived Elektra into taking her position in the Hand, which we learned she was destined for in Daredevil season 2. I really like the shock in Matt’s voice when he realizes she’s alive, and it looks like he’s going to attempt to connect with her (we’ll see how that turns out).

    I think it’s also worth noting the chemistry between all of these guys. Aside from Luke and Jessica, we haven’t really seen any of them together. And even that has a complication since the last thing Luke said to Jessica (of his own free will, aka un-Kilgraved) was calling her a piece of poo. Which wasn’t cool Luke. But that tension was illustrated, even in a short moment, with Luke calling after Jessica as she walks away from him, right when Sigourney suggests that their alliance is temporary.

    But the nice little comedic interactions between them are wonderful, and Jessica’s cynical attitude is a great foil to all of them. The way she discounts Danny’s energy as being Chi and makes fun of Daredevil’s costume is welcome levity in an otherwise dark corner of the MCU. And I have to admit, I felt a little sorry for Matt when Luke didn’t want a hug! Not cool Luke!

    Also, it looks like everyone from Foggy to Patsy, and Stick to Bakudo are back to play supporting roles, and I think that’s actually an advantage the shows have over the movies. Think of it this way, a movie is only so long, so when the first Avengers happened, and everyone was asking “Where’s Rhodey?” and “Why isn’t Jane Foster there?”, the answer is simply there wasn’t enough time to get them all in. But in a show, you can have Colleen Wing in one episode and Misty Knight in the next. I think it’s a rewarding payoff for five seasons of following not just the heroes, but their amazing friends as well.

    The Defenders is coming to Netflix August 18. Until then, this fun little New York Bulletin website should curb your anticipation a bit: http://nybulletin.com/

  • Spider-Man Confirmed on Marvel v.s Capcom Infinite #SDCC

    Now I can pre-order the game in good faith knowing that Spider-Man is confirmed! Comic Con kept the hits coming with the reveal that Spider-Man, Frank West, and Nemisis (you know, that big immovable tank character) are in the game and a new creative stage combining A.I.M and Umbrella! Get ready for some Crawler Assault and Maximum Spider! Also there’s a new special with cameo from a longtime Spidey villain! And we got a first look at the Mind Stone, which apparently maxes out your special meter. Very helpful I’d say! Marvel v.s Capcom Infinite launches September 19!

  • New Inhumans Trailers #SDCC

    Comic Con hit us yesterday with a brand new trailer for Inhumans! This time we get to finally see Medusa’s hair! And today we learned from Marvel Live that Auran is in the show (And apparently a danger to bus drivers everywhere!) I was wondering also why Triton was on Earth, but it looks like he’s been deployed to find all the new Inhumans (or Nuhumans as it were) that sprung up as a result of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the fish oil incident. And speaking of S.H.I.E.L.D., we got a glimpse in the first trailer, but now we clearly see the alien writing that led the team to Afterlife! Maybe these are coordinates to Attilan. Either way, it’s good to see that kind of consistency with these shows. One thing I’m embarrassed to admit, however, is that I didn’t know Maximus was a human! I always thought his Inhuman  power was that he was really smart since he’s always inventing things, but this really explains his issues. And boy does this guy have issues! Another cool thing is seeing how Karnak’s power works, that blue flash when hits the weak points is a stroke of genius! Oh, and let’s not forget Lockjaw! This show looks great, and the first two episodes release in IMAX September 1.

  • Time to Honor the Man!

    This past weekend at D23, Stan Lee was made a Disney Legend, and he got to put his hand/footprints outside of the TCL Chinese Theater. Stan, introduced with the Captain America March playing in the background, told a heartwarming story about a kid that wanted to buy a book, The Art of Walt Disney, and how he’s happy to be standing in the house of Disney today. Stan was also overjoyed that his old friend Jack Kirby was inducted as a Disney Legend as well. And as if that wasn’t enough, we got a new Defenders trailer yesterday narrated by Stan the Man himself! Face Front Stan Lee, here’s to you!

  • Avengers: Infinity War #D23

    Holy cow! D23 keeps the hits coming, this time with Infinity War footage! Now, I wasn’t there, wish I could have been, but I hear the trailer has Thanos throwing a planet at the Avengers and Thor running into (literally) the Guardians of the Galaxy! And let’s not forget that Josh Brolin, Thanos himself, confirmed and introduced the Black Order! (Not the Fantastic Four, sorry guys. Although, three guys, one notably larger, and one girl, so I don’t blame the speculators on this one.)

    There’s Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and Black Dwarf. I hate all of them (blame Future Fight for that) but they’re villains, and we’re supposed to hate them, so that’s good! I can’t wait until they reveal this trailer to the public, and I’m glad they’ve finally confirmed the Black Order. So what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments and keep it on Face Front for more breaking news in the MCU!

  • Marvel Powers United VR #D23

    Well what a nice surprise! Bill Rosemann, the head of Marvel Games (aka a guy who has done more work in the past few months than in his entire career at Marvel) announced at D23 a new exclusive, Marvel Powers United VR! Markiplier was there and everything. This game is exclusive for the Oculus Rift+Touch (which means I should probably re-label my ‘PlayStation VR’ money jar) and, so far, features Captain Marvel (heart eyes emoji), Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon. Here’s a trailer:

    I could have sworn from the colors she was wearing that girl was going to transform into Black Widow. But that aside, this looks great! And I’m not just saying that. Every time I see VR it looks choppy and awkward, but I’ve come to accept that because I honestly didn’t think it could get any better. But this looks fluid, and responsive. When ‘ol Markiplier was playing it, it really seemed like he was Hulk smashing some Kree goons.

    The story apparently consists of Ronan the Accuser (hence the Kree) and the Masters of Evil (isn’t Falcon going to fight those guys in Episode 2 of Sam Says! Sorry, shameless plug, I regret nothing) getting their hands on the Tesseract and tearing apart time and space. Luckily Lockjaw is there to help them teleport around this mess!

    They promised more characters and multiplayer, which we actually saw in action, so I really am looking forward to this. I normally don’t look twice at VR projects (except that Spider-Man Homecoming one), but this has my undivided attention! What about you guys? Are you gonna buy a Oculus Rift for this? Lef me know down below!

  • Marvel’s Spider-Man #D23

    So we’ve got some more news on this Spider-Man show, and finally a release date! The show is coming out August 19 for an hour long premier (so you might have to take a short break while binge watching The Defenders!) We’ve also go voice cast and character designs! It’s good to see a new face on Spidey, even though people were throwing out guesses left and right. And hey, Patton Oswald for Uncle Ben! Well, I guess that’s not gonna last long…

    Also, though there have been rumors, we now have confirmation for Gwen and Miles (whether or not they spider up is to be seen) and we’ve even got Anya Corazon in there! I’m the least familiar with her version of Spider-Girl, but I’m glad she’ll be included. The character designs are definitely unique, it looks like a very different Gwen and an older more traditional version of Aunt May, but I’m cool with it. I’m almost disappointed they didn’t throw Cindy Moon in there, but who knows, maybe we’ll see Silk soon!

    I also like the inclusion of Max Modell here (as if Fred Tatasciore doesn’t have enough to do), and the fact that they’ve made Horizon Labs into Horizon High. It’s a more recent addition to the Spider-Man mythos, but it’s one Dan Slott really leaned into to the point where I think it’s solidly engrained into Spidey lore. Speaking of comic creators, leave it to Joe Quesada to make himself a coffee shop owner in the show! (No doubt a reference to his ‘Cup f Joe’ Comic Con panel every year). Also, we have the Jackal looking like his traditional “fuzzy Yoda in a speedo” self. I do prefer the Clone Conspiracy look for him, but hey, you know, that’s a classic. I think it’s nice we’re finally getting full on Jackal, since Miles Warren was introduced in Spectacular and the 90’s show but never really went anywhere.

    What I’m really excited for here is the story, here’s a synopsis for the show:

    In the new series, “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” we will see a fresh take on Spider-Man, as Peter Parker is learning the responsibility that comes along with being a new, super-powered hero in New York City, just as he’s being accepted into Horizon High, a high school for brilliant young scientific minds. He struggles with the duality of his social life at school and hiding his secret identity from everyone including his best friend Harry Osborn, who attends the competing Osborn Academy for geniuses. As Peter embraces his alter-ego and takes on super villains such as Vulture, Lizard, Doctor Octopus and Sandman, he watches his hero lifestyle come between his personal relationships and struggles to keep Harry from landing on the wrong side of the law.

    It sounds like we’re really getting back to Peter Parker and how being Spider-Man affects his life. That is the main thing Ultimate was missing that I think Spectacular and the 90’s series did so well. There were episodes of Ultimate where Spidey never even took off the mask, and as Stan Lee said, Peter Parker is just as important as Spider-Man. The best episodes of Ultimate were the ones where Peter’s personal life was brought into the fold. Based on the origin clip we got a while ago (They promised 5 more! Where are they?), I think we’ll finally get that Peter Parker influence we’ve been missing for the past 5 years. The keeping Harry from the wrong side of the law bit seems particularly interesting, since Harry’s always been a troubled individual, and I like the unique relationship he has with Peter, where Peter wants to help his basically only friend, but can’t because Spider-Man is always in the way.

    All in all, this show looks like a promising return to form for Spider-Man, and I personally cannot wait! What about you guys? Comment below and let’s talk!

  • Spider-Man Homecoming Easter Eggs

    Alright, Spider-Man: Homecoming is out, and you’d better bring an Easter basket because the Easter Bunny was hopping all up through this movie! So, strap up, and let’s jump in! Oh yeah, and SPOILER ALERT!!!

    Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

    Wealth and fame, he’s ignored, action is his reward. Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man! Not only did we get an awesome Michael Giacchino orchestreal version of the classic theme in the beginning, but Spider-Man left notes on the criminals he caught just like a good Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man would!

    The Scorpion

    Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion, played a small role in this movie, but I think he’s more there as a token for what’s to come. I like the fact that for those who didn’t catch the name Mac Gargan, they basically telegraphed it by giving him a scorpion tattoo on his neck (and the scarring on his face more reminiscent of Ultimate Scorpion). Even with his small amount of screen time, Gargan came across as menacing and a bit scary (talking about slitting poor Spider-Man’s throat!) I’m excited to finally see Scorpion on the big screen, and I’m ready to meet his ‘friends on the outside’. *Cough, Sinister Six, cough*.

    Jim Morita

    Midtown High’s principal is Mr. Morita (I heard it in a voicemail  from Michelle in the Spider-Man Homecoming app… I have no life). We know that Captain America had an old war buddy named Jim Morita, a member of the Howling Commandos! Jim Morita and Principal Morita are both played by the same actor. Which probably explains the black and white photo and war medals for old Jimmy posted up in Principal Morita’s office. It’s quick, so make sure you catch it!

    Women of Spider-Man

    We had Betty Brant reporting the news Daily Bugle style, although she looked a lot like Gwen Stacy. We had Liz Allen, with a surprising twist, although she married Harry Osborn at one point in the comics, so having a villain as a father isn’t a far stretch. And we also had Michelle come out as MJ. Not Mary Jane, but MJ. I don’t know, we’ll see what they do with her, but I really do want the classic Spider-Man and Mary Jane relationship. So maybe, now that she has friends, MJ will come out of her shell a bit more and grow into the party girl we all know and love! Oh, and the Asian girl on the Decathlon team is listed as ‘Cindy’. Hm… *Cough, Silk, cough!*

    Ned Leeds

    Another one of Peter’s friends that had the unfortunate disposition of becoming a Goblin, and paying the price. Well, let’s hope that never happens, because Ned is a great guy in the chair!

    Forehead of Security

    This isn’t really an Easter egg more so than a callback, but in the car when Tony and Happy are dropping Peter off at home, Tony states that Happy used to be the Forehead of Security, which was the joke he made in Iron Man 3 when Happy, not knowing how to work an iPad, was holding the camera up to his forehead.

    Homemade Suit

    This suit just screams Ben Reilly. We’re all thinking it! Might as well just say it!

    Iron Spider

    It looked a lot different, but the suit Tony presents Peter with in the end of the movie, along with an offer to become an Avenger, is indeed the Iron Spider. I have a feeling Peter will be donning that suit when Infinity War rolls around, but until then, he’s gonna just go ahead and be a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

    Uncle Aaron/ The Prowler

    I’m going to write an entire article on Donald Glover and his relation to Miles Morales, but it’s good to see that they cast him as Mile’s Uncle Aaron Davis, who is also the villain known as the Prowler in the Ultimate comics. I’m also glad he mentioned his nephew, more or less confirming Miles’s existance in the MCU!

    Spidey Tracers

    When Shocker comes to Midtown looking for the Chitauri power source Spidey swiped, Peter narrowly avoids them, and tags Shultz with a tiny little mechanic spider that allows him to track them to Maryland. These are classic Spidey Tracers, used often in the comics and 90’s series but never in the movies… until now!

    Damage Control

    Dwayne McDuffie, a minority comic creator and huge inspiration to me, created Damage Control, the guys who clean up the messes superheroes tend to make. It’s good to see it get some love in an MCU movie since the TV show is apparently MIA. There was a passing mention of it in Iron Man 1, but here it is in full force! All they’re missing is the bulldog logo!

    MCU Here and There

    Just a bunch of little sprinkled MCU bits cementing Spider-Man into the Universe, here’s a few of them:

    • Avengers Tower (duh)
    • Road sign in DC warning about ‘Triskelion cleanup’
    • Pictures of Howard Stark and Bruce Banner at Midtown, and hey, I even hear ‘ol Dr. Erskine is up there!
    • History lesson on the Sokovia Accords
    • A gun assembled from ‘Sub-Ultron’ parts
    • Cap being a war criminal (sad face emoji)
    • Speaking of Cap, notice he’s in his Avengers (2012) uniform, so I guess these were filmed right after he was thawed out
    • The first 15 minutes of the film, right after the Battle of New York and during Civil War

    Now, there’s a big one, right at the end where where Spider-Man is trapped under the rubble, but I can’t tell you yhat because it would spoil the trivia question for my Spider-Man Homecoming Podcast, so… I guess we’ll end here! Were there any I missed? Let me know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more from Spider-Man Homecoming!