July 2014

She-Hulk #6

/ / Comics

She-Hulk #6She-Hulk #6 continues, and eventually stalls, the Blue File storyline. While offering glimpses worthy of note including resurrecting properties of Angie Huang‘s pet moneky Hei Hei and the fact that She-Hulk is not immune to the mind control involved in making both heroes and villains forget whatever happened in North Dakota (which only kicks in now?), the issue brings the investigation to a halt along with tons of new potential clients for She-Hulk as the comic (apparently) has decided to shelve the storyline (for now) and more in a different direction.

I was less-than-thrilled with switch to Ronald Wimberly’s art beginning last issue, but the Blue File storyline offered an intriguing mystery I wanted to see through. Since that isn’t going to happen any time soon, and the art is even more jarring this month, I’m sad to say I’m probably done with the title. I think Charles Soule has introduced several intriguing ideas for the new series including Jennifer’s Walters’ unorthodox staff and offices catering to super-human characters, but despite my appreciation of the character there’s simply not enough here to bring me back month after month. Pass.

[Marvel, $3.99]

She-Hulk #6 Read More »

Under the Skin

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Under the Skin
  • IMDb: link

Under the Skin

The line between a movie being artistic and pretentious is, like beauty, often in the eye of the beholder. Director Jonathan Glazer helms this tale of a beautiful woman (Scarlett Johansson) stalking lonely men in Scotland. Adapted from the novel by Michael Faber, Under the Skin has sharply divided audiences over the issue of style versus substance.

Stripped down to its core, Faber’s story, adapted here by Glazer and Walter Campbell, is incredibly simple leaving very little room for character or plot development. Putting all his eggs in one basket, Glazer uses an over-stylized look to enhance the story that never attempts to ask or answer basic questions about what Johansson’s character, or her equally unnamed biker partner (Jeremy McWilliams), need with the men trapped like mosquitoes in amber in their monochromatic domicile (which must come from Gallifrey as it’s infinitely larger on the inside than the unassuming exterior would have you believe).

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Kirsten Dunst Flaunts her beauty and style

/ / Books & Magazines

Kirsten Dunst - Flaunt (July 2014)

Promoting her upcoming movie The Two Faces of January, Kirsten Dunst sat down for an interview and photo shoot for the July issue of Flaunt. In the interview Dunst discusses writer/director Hossein Amini, the importance of Sofia Coppola‘s The Virgin Suicides to her maturation as an actress, working with Lars von Trier on Melancholia, the security of her adopted home in London, fighting for the scarce number of good female roles, separating her work and public life as much as possible, and living with constant media attention and Internet gossip. You can find the pics from her photo shoot inside.

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Fables #142

/ / Comics

Fables #142While those behind the scenes, including Maddy, continue to push Fabletown into a war between Rose Red and Snow White, including a spell which puts the two women in off-setting pairs of magical armor, White is far more concerned with the news that an out-of-control Bigby has been sighted in the Mundy world. In a world where symbolism matters far more than it does it ours, it is important to notice Snow White is cast in the black armor suggesting (at least in the view of the person behind the spell) that she has apparently been cast as the villain in Fabletown‘s downfall.

Despite Snow White’s statement of having no interest into going to war with her sister the comic continues to push the story forward. We are also offered more of Lancelot as Rose Red’s lover (and his role as the possible Guinevere in the new story who might betray her to… Snow White?). The shattered Bigby’s return muddies the water a bit (or is it the distraction needed to cause the final wedge between sisters?), and we’ll have to wait and see how long it takes for Fabletown’s various magic users to discern the missing piece of the great wolf is being used to control him. Worth a look.

[Vertigo,$2.99]

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Robin Rises: Omega

/ / Comics

Robin Rises: OmegaHow much you like Grant Morrison and his work on Batman over the past few years will certainly temper your response to Robin Rises: Omega #1 which launches the storyline which will likely bring Damian Wayne back from the dead and re-install him as Robin once more. Much like Morrison’s own work, Robin Rises: Omega #1 is overly-complicated, clunky, and unnecessary long winded (can’t they just throw the kid in a Lazarus Pit and be done?).

The $5 comic features an extended highlight reel of Damian’s story up to this point which leads more than a little like writer Peter J. Tomasi’s Morrison fan boy wanking. With a fifth of the comic taken up with the prologue, the story finally offers us into the main conflict by introducing Glorious Godfrey and Apokolips into the question coming between the conflicted sides of Batman and Ra’s al Ghul‘s forces. Stealing Damian’s body for a magic crystal hidden inside (because why?), Batman looses the villains when the Justice League shows up (unnecessarily) and forces them to flee back to Apokilips – with Damian’s coffin.

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