COMICS!! Review: Daken: Dark Wolverine #9 (Collision Part 4)

Daken and X-23. Both are relatively new characters with family ties to Wolverine, with very similar struggles with inner strife. Both have risen to mainstream prominence in their own individual series penned by Marjorie Liu. Most importantly, both personalities collide in this crossover mini-series which comes to a close with Part 4. Did the series live up to the potential of having these two unstoppable forces clash and, more importantly, does the mini-series end in a satisfying manner?

Sibling Rivalry

Collision sees X-23 and Gambit travelling to Madripoor in search of one Malcolm Colcord. Followers of Wolverine and other Weapon X alumni will likely recognize Colcord as the man behind the project, and X-23 has a sneaking suspicion the mad scientist intends to start the project anew. This leads X-23 to seek out the help of Daken, the nation's new kingpin, who tentatively agrees to help after battling Laura to a standstill. Several double-crosses and brutal revelations lead to Part 4, where the duo of Wolverine spawn must join forces to finally expose the true nature behind Colcord's schemes.

The Beauty in Brutality

For the Daken portions of this mini-series, Liu is joined by Daniel Way, and the combined strength of their storytelling might makes the final issue of Collision absolute gold. It's brutal, while maintaining the human element that remains dormant inside these two characters through most of their adventures. It also really plays up the similarities between the two, but also their differences, with Laura being an engineered killer seeking a purpose beyond that which she was made for, and Daken using his god-given gifts to prove he has the strength to achieve just about anything. The dialog between the two, particularly towards issue's end, is inspired.

Speaking of inspired, the art by Marco Chechetto is fantastic here. He really captures the savagery and carnage that would result in getting in a fight between these two, as well as the grim and gritty feel of the seedy Madripoor underbelly. It can't be easy to make an image of a pair of people being incinerated by an explosion appear beautiful, but somehow Chechetto pulls it off.

In the end, the only problems I had with this mini were minor. I certainly would like to say, as an X-23 reader, I'm beginning to question the point of Gambit in this series. Certainly he provides a break to the tension and gives Laura someone relatively "normal" to talk to, but I find I'd rather have Laura's inner-monologue reveal to the reader what she's thinking. I feel it'd help the reader connect more to her. Also, and this is just a personal thing, this mini has shown the potential that these two have as a combination. I feel the X-23 and Daken series could be even stronger if they were combined into one.

Animal Magnetism

And that's what makes Collision such a good storyline. Fans of either character are sure to enjoy it, and it has enough good old knockdown drag out action that new readers can easily get into it. If you've been thinking about reading either X-23 or Daken: Dark Wolverine, you may want to give Collision a look to give you a feel for each character.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #9 (Part 4 of Collision) gets 4.5 stars out of 5. It's the comic equivalent of a crowd pleaser.

Questionable Review: Thor

This here review was originally posted on my ComicVine.com and Screened.com profiles. Check those out, HERE and HERE, respectively.

Since the so-called "Avengers Initiative" was put into place by Marvel Studios; building up characters and franchises in anticipation of the huge crossover film directed by Joss Whedon; they've been putting out consistently solid film efforts. Many of these could even be called great. However, where Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk are somewhat grounded and based in technology and science, Thor concerns itself with deities and Shakespearean melodrama. Does this dramatic shift in tone sink Marvel's latest superhero romp?

SO WHAT'S THIS MOVIE ABOUT?

Thor follows the titular Norse god of thunder and the struggles in both his home realm of Asgard and the human world of Midgard (Earth). It seems that years ago, the Asgardians thwarted an invasion of Earth by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Now many years later, the leader of Asgard, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is ready to relinquish his throne to his son, Thor (Chris Hemsworth). However, after a band of Frost Giants invade Asgard, threatening the long held truce between the two nations, Thor takes it upon himself to deliver swift justice unto Jotunheim. Odin is none too pleased with this. As punishment, he strips Thor of his godhood and his magic hammer, Mjolnir, and banishes him to Earth. There, he becomes intertwined in the affairs of the scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and attempts desperately to regain his status. Asgard faces its own problems in Thor's absence, as traitors in the ranks threaten to tear the realm apart from within, and Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) ascends to the throne in the wake of grave misfortune. Thor must prove himself worthy and return before great evil befalls his beloved home.

SO WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS MOVIE?

Director Kenneth Branagh brings Thor's world to the big screen beautifully. As I stated earlier, what could have been Thor's biggest crutch was its tonal difference between the previous Marvel films (IE, Thor being decidedly sillier in source material). However, Branagh pulls off the look and feel of Asgard with aplomb, grounding it enough to fit in with the established Marvel Universe while keeping the connections to Norse lore and mythology that make it so intriguing in the first place. Hemsworth, in his first major role, is astounding as Thor. He exudes an incredible charisma, and more than has the physicality and intensity to portray the god of thunder. His Asgardian cast, particularly Hopkins,Hiddleston and Idris Elba as Heimdall, are almost equally strong. Even Portman, who only occasionally is able to anchor the Earth scenes, succeeds because of her natural chemistry with Hemsworth. Lastly, the action scenes in Thor are good fun. The punchy choreography and grandiose battles are a joy to watch, and the first time Thor channels lightening through Mjolnir, cratering a huge chunk of Jotunheim, I got genuine goosebumps.

SO WHAT SUCKS ABOUT THIS MOVIE?

As great as the action and drama surrounding Thor's home of Asgard is, the Earth scenes are only serviceable. They aren't terrible or unwatchable by any means, but when the script lapses into the casual and Thor's adventures devolve into wacky slapstick, it feels a tad uneven. This isn't helped by the fact that Kat Dennings' character, in particular, does her darnedest to derail every single scene. I get that she's supposed to be the "ice breaker"; the one to cut the tension when Portman and Stellan Skarsgard's character are talking about science and what not; but she comes off as too annoying. Also, although the history and lineage of Asgard is summed up admirably, I feel it may be a bit much for people to take in one shot. I'm somewhat familiar with Thor's mythos and found myself fumbling a bit at the start, trying to get a bearing for Asgard and its people.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Thor used to have a terrible cartoon show. This... this isn't it...

SO WHAT'S THE FINAL VERDICT?

Thor is another great offering from Marvel. While some may stumble over the more outlandish premise, and indeed the movie itself stumbles in places, it is another worthwhile addition to the pantheon of superhero films. It is grandiose and fun in a way that many films are not, let alone films of this genre. It isn't high cinema (at least the Earth scenes aren't), but if you've got one bone of affection for superheroes, mythology, or muscular blonde men, your money would be well spent by seeing Thor.

Questionable(y Late) Review: Black Swan

Despite my assertion of being a fake film critic, there are just some films regardless of notoriety that I can't get around to seeing. One such film was Oscar darling, Black Swan. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (who captivated me with his direction of The Wrestler) and starring Natalie Portman (whose acting, and... erm... acting I've been a fan of since the days of Phantom Menace), does this haunting and horrifying ballet drama deserve the praise it received from the Academy?

SO WHAT'S THIS MOVIE ABOUT?

Black Swan explores the seedier side of performance art, and the ravaging effects that the obsession with perfection can bring about to the performers. Nina (Portman), a technically meticulous ballerina, is vying for the lead in her struggling company's adaptation of Swan Lake. Nina, however, is an extremely sheltered and frigid individual raised by an overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey), whose own obsession with her daughter's success only adds to the overwhelming nature of her undertaking. However, Nina soon finds that being "perfect" doesn't just mean dancing perfectly, as she's drawn into going "above and beyond" in an attempt to assure her place as the company's new star, leading to less-than savory encounters with the company's trashy director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel). Tensions continue to rise as a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), whose more free-spirited nature threatens to steal Nina's spotlight. From here, Nina spirals further and further into her obsession, eventually leading to signs of growing madness as the once sweet girl becomes pulled inside the role she so desperately wants.

SO WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS MOVIE?

Aside from practically everything? Truly, I have a difficult time just how excellent I felt this film was. For starters, Darren Aronofsky's direction is amazing. The way he balances the juxtaposition between the elegant art of ballet with the film's exceedingly dirty underbelly is masterful. It provides a roller coaster of emotions for the viewer, who is taken along with Nina on a dizzying descent into madness. Indeed, I've never been a performer myself, but through Aronofsky's direction, I felt the dread, the pressure, and the guilt that the ballerina experienced to the point where even I felt a bit crazy at points.

Of course much of the credit for this also goes straight to the fantastic acting abilities of Natalie Portman. Not only does Portman physically encompass the role she's given, but convincingly transforms as her character transforms; becoming an entirely different person from who she was at the start of the film and exuding an almost otherworldly presence. Of course, Kunis and Cassel do a great job in their own roles, ones that clash with Portman's character at just the right times. However, Barbara Hershey perhaps steals the supporting cast spotlight as the maddeningly overprotective mother to Nina, and Winona Ryder does a great job with her own limited role. Lastly, the film's soundtrack which combines the haunting melodies of Swan Lake with contemporary music and horror movie stings fits perfectly with the film's tone.

SO WHAT SUCKS ABOUT THIS MOVIE?

Very little, actually. I would only say that maybe the advertising campaign for Black Swan fails to convey just how dark and how dirty this film goes. Unprepared audiences may be downright shocked the levels of sleaze this ballet movie sinks down to. Also, the disorienting nature of Aronofsky's direction can do just that, disorient the idle film viewer, so Black Swan definitely isn't a film you're going to watch to relax in the evening. This is a mind trip.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Aronofsky was in line to direct a Wolverine move for a while. He's since left that project, but given his work here and on The Wrestler, I'd say his grim and gritty style would have fit perfectly with the old Canuckle head. Just sayin'...

SO WHAT'S THE FINAL VERDICT?

Occasionally, Oscar-nominated films fail to live up to the expectations that go along with that status. Black Swan is not one of those films. This is a wholly disorienting, often surprising, and extremely dark film about obsession, madness, love, and performing arts. It surely isn't going to hit home with all audiences, but for those willing to let Black Swan sweep them away, they'll find themselves lost to the tale of one performers struggle to keep her role and herself intact. Go see it.

COMICS!! Review: Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2

Originally posted on my ComicVine.com account.

Amongst the tales of daring do and superheroism I picked up this week at the local comic shoppe, the one book I looked forward to more than all was actually about a monster mindlessly destroying Japanese cities. Maybe that's why Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters by Phil Hester and Eric Powell has so much of my attention; because it's something different.

Of course differentiation doesn't necessarily mean quality, so how does the second issue of Godzilla hold up?

Tokyo SOS

Godzilla #2 picks up from the dire situation of the first, with Godzilla continuing his unstoppable rampage through Japan. Things go from bad to worse, however, when two more monsters join the fray with Anguirus arising from the sands of Mexico and Rodan hatching from a radioactive crystaline egg in Russia. The story is told through the eyes of several hapless humans witnessing the bizarre and terrifying events, and with even the US stumped as to how to stop the monsters, things show no signs of improving.

Once again, Eric Powell employs a strange trifecta of tonage (stay with me here) in this issue to mostly great effect. People are dying. Elements of tragedy are explored. But at the same time, the book also has an extremely dark sense of humor to the whole thing. Powell's nearly fearless here with the stuff he goes for, and was pretty successful at drawing both a groan and chuckle from me at every turn. Of course, it goes without saying how great Phil Hester's art is, and those harsh and jagged pencils of his seem to go together with Powell's storytelling like peanut butter goes with jelly.

Collateral Damage

At the same time, the darker tone of story is also a bit of a downfall. It's true, in movie continuity, Godzilla hasn't been the truly campy deal that made him (in)famous, but I think that might be what most people expect out of their Godzilla comic. Yet here are kids getting gobbled up by monsters and some politically charged satire among other things. This of course is no fault of Powell's or Hester's, but at the same time, if people were expecting big monsters slugging it out in vacant city backdrops (which seems to be next issue...), then they may be a bit off-put.

The Godzilla Power Hour

Regardless, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2 is just good sardonic fun. Sardonic fun featuring giant monsters. It may not be the typical reason you find yourself at the comic shop for, but I'd say to make room in your budget for something different. And when it's delivered with this quality, anybody with a passing interest in Japan's largest export should give it a try.

Godzilla smashes a deserved four stars out five. TASTE THE DIFFERENCE!

Head to the Rotunda...

...for all your RAW recap goodness. This week's train-wreck now up at that OTHER blog of mine, Rix Wrestling Rotunda.

Getchoo some!

COMICS!! Review: Power Girl #23

This review was originally posted on my ComicVine.com account. That's HERE!

Power Girl might just be the most consistently good book I've been reading since I've thrown my hat back into the crazy world of comic books. Whether that's because the character herself is just about everything I like in my superhero(ine) protagonist, or because the writing of Judd Winick and the the art of Sami Basri has genuinely been THAT good is beyond me, but quite frankly I don't care. Power Girl's awesome, and #23 continues that streak of awesomeness.

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

And really how could it not, with the last sighting of Power Girl had her fighting magic dinosaurs alongside her cousin, Superman. The source of these beasts, a magic thief calling himself Siphon, has captured Zatanna and is intent on making her powers permanently his own. Really, what could have just been a silly, but entertaining side story, actually ends up with Power Girl making a very important step in growth for her character.

And that's really what this book was missing. Sure, Karen's gone through a roller coaster of events both mental and physical since Winick's taken the reigns, but the status quo has always been maintained throughout. Now, we actually get a sense that PG's really got a direction to head in now, and is now fully fleshed out as a superheroine. Combined with Winick's uncanny sense of humor, that makes for a great issue. Few titles make me chuckle like his Power Girl.

Sami Basri continues to provide the solid artistic backbone for the series. There's not much more I can say about his art here that I haven't already stated a bajillion times before, but he continues to maintain the series unique look.

Whu Oh...

The only criticism I'd level is that, now seeing Power Girl and Zatanna side by side throughout most of this issue, you can see somewhat of a sameness with which Basri draws his females' faces and figures. It's not huge, and it's not as if I expect every heroine to look drastically different, but I feel that Power Girl does have a bit of a distinctive build (being an extremely tall, well-muscled, and well... endowed female character).

I also felt that the introduction of the Siphon character ended up being a bigger throwaway than I would have liked. I assume he may return later in PG's book or in some other title, but he felt more like a clever plot device than an actual character or threatening villain.

My Dream Girl

These issues aside, this is just a fun conclusion to a great two-parter. I can say that I've yet to read a comic that began with our heroes fighting magical dinosaurs and that ended with such a huge character advancement. The funny thing is, it was handled in stride and without fanfare or much ado. And that's what I really love about Power Girl as a series, it just has this quiet un-assuming pace and existence, but consistently churns out some of the better story-telling in DC comics. I can't wait to see where Power Girl goes from here.

Issue #23 gets a solid 4 stars out of 5.

My New Blog...

I've decided to move my recaps and analysis of professional wrestling into their own realm. I figger that, for anybody who actually does read this blog, I'd give 'em a heads up so if they happen to ask themselves, "Selves... where the hell are the pro wrestling updates?" they'll know.

So without further ado, I introduce you to the Rix Wrestling Rotunda.