November 2010

Red Robin #17

I love almost everything about this issue. The epilogue to “The Hit List” gives us a little of everything that’s made Red Robin such a great read in the absence of Bruce Wayne along with a promise that things aren’t going to change.

We get the both the return Cassandra Cain and Batman in his fancy new costume as well as a Tim making a difficult decision to trust Lynx (perhaps not entirely made with his brain). To’s art is terrific (I honestly can’t pick out a favorite panel: the hug? the kiss? the discussion about Damian?), and Fabian Nicieza once again delivers yet another strong story without trying to rewrite the character of make some grand statement (something Grant Morrison could learn).

My only real complaint with the issue is the obvious slight to Stephanie Brown in Tim offering the role of Bagril back to Cassandra. Aside from the fact it’s not his to give, it’s just one hellova a dick move to make. I’m glad to see her pass on the opportunity, and it seems like there may be a new role for the character in the expanding Bat-family that feels more her own. Must-read.

[DC $2.99]

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Morning Glory

  • Title: Morning Glory
  • IMDB: link

Sometimes, I suppose, some people just need to watch a nice movie where nice people end up in nice places, despite not nice situations. Hollywood knows this, and they know it well. They crank out these nice movies like a long, processed line of uninterupted sausage, knowing it’ll find some sort of audience. It doesn’t matter if they’re using Grade A or Grade F meat, because this stuff is proven to do some business.

This can all be said of Morning Glory, a movie about a nice girl that, in the end, get’s everything nice that she deserves. That nice girl is played by Rachel McAdams, a young up-and-get’m who lands a job as Executive Producer on a morning news show ala Today, only one dying a slow, ratings-denied death. Things are bad enough before she takes a chance and hires Ted Koppel approximate Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford), as a co-anchor. It turns out he hates soft news, and doesn’t care if the show stays on the air. Oh no, they might get canceled!

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Pirates, Vegans, and Lesbians. Oh, my!

  • Title: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
  • IMDB: link

Based on the comic series of the same name young Canadian slacker Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) meets the girl of his dreams (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) only to learn he must face-off against, and defeat, all seven of her evil ex’s (Jason SchwartzmanChris Evans, Brandon RouthSatya Bhabha, Mae Whitman, Keita Saitou, Shota Saito). Director Edgar Wright‘s take on the comic is an awful lot of fun and holds up well to multiple viewings. For more check out my original review of the film.

The Blu-ray version of the movie is loaded with extras including multiple audio commentary tracks, featurettes on the making of the film as well as its look and sound, alternative footage, deleted scenes (with director commentary), bloopers, along with standard BD Live extras, a copy of the film on DVD, and the ability to stream either Pitch Black or Tremors for free.

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Captain America: Man Out of Time #1 (of 5)

  • Title: Captain America: Man Out of Time #1 (of 5)
  • Comic Vine: link
  • Writer: Mark Waid
  • Artist: Jorge Molina

What if Captain America didn’t sleep for twenty years, but 60? What if the Avengers found him today and not at the dawn of the Silver Age? These are the questions Captain America: Man Out of Time, a new five-issue mini-series from Mark Waid and Jorge Molina sets out to answer.

This first issue gives us Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes spending time with a group of soldiers the night before both are lost. Then Rogers awakes to the Avengers standing over him and a world with ATMs, cell phones, sports cars, and teenagers packing guns.

The idea is interesting, though I’m not sure we need five full issues to fully explore it. I enjoyed the look of the world and Waid’s decision to present everything from Roger’s perspective.

For $4 it’s definitely not a must-read, but fans of the character or of Marvel’s various What If…? stories may want to give it a look.

[Marvel $3.99]

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