1.5 Razors

Batman Incorporated #8

/ / Comics

Batman Incorporated #8Let’s get this straight before discussing the awfulness that is Batman Incorporated #8, I’m about as far as you can get from a Grant Morrison fan. The comic writer certainly has his devoted followers, but although I think he can sometimes create something worthwhile completely outside of DC continuity (All-Star Superman), most of the time I’m sick to death of his overly-complex (and at times nearly incomprehensible) stories which force well-established characters into roles that don’t fit them in order to create a “definitive” version of the characters purely to serve the man’s massive ego.

Back in 2006 Grant Morrison introduced the character of Damian Wayne, the offspring of Batman and Talia al Ghul. Rather than use existing Batman stories which laid the groundwork for the character’s existence (and he couldn’t even be bothered to read until his version had been published), Morrison made up his own convoluted tale involving genetic manipulations and clones. And so Damian, the genetic (but not quite biological) offspring of the Dark Knight and the daughter of one of his greatest enemies was born.

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Kill For Me

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Kill For Me
  • IMDB: link

kill-for-me-dvdWould you kill for someone you just met? Kill For Me starts out as a basic thriller involving a pair of new roommates, Amanda (Katie Cassidy) and Hailey (Tracy Spiridakos), involved in some PG-13 college lesbian experimentation and the accidental killing of Amanda’s abusive ex-boyfriend (Ryan Robbins). Despite the fact the death is an open-and-shut case of self-defense, the two girls decide to hide the body. And that’s where things begin going downhill very quickly.

Kill For Me devolves into a series of twists, each more inexplicable and illogical than the last, as Hailey’s true motives become harder to discern as she goes to extreme lengths to blackmail her roommate and lover into helping Hailey seduce and kill her abusive father (Donal Logue). Given it’s ridiculous final hour the film’s only saving grace is it’s relatively short running time (95 minutes).

The only extra included on the DVD is a 13-minute behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the film featuring cast and crew interviews from the set.

[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $22.99]

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Scarlet Spider #14

/ / Comics

Scarlet Spider #14The Scarlet Spider comic makes a couple of big changes with issue #14, changes I’m not on-board with and hope are temporary. The comic begins with the death of Kaine at the hands of Carlos and Esmeralda Lobo who continue to chase Aracely through Houston. The comic ends with Kaine’s rebirth as something… new.

As Aracely runs across the city and gets a local gang to take on the werewolf siblings on her behalf for encroaching on their turf, Kaine is stuck in limbo talking with Ero who agrees to bring Kaine back to life if he stops acting like a man and embraces his true nature. Willing to risk anything to save Aracely, Kaine agrees to the bargain only to come out of a cocoon looking far more monster than man. My reaction can best be summed up in a single panel.

I really hope Kaine’s transformation lasts only and issue or two as I’m far less interested in reading about a spider-monster assassin than Kaine’s attempt to redeem himself and do honor to the name of the Scarlet Spider. Even a short cameo by Ben Reilly can’t save this one. Pass.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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Batman and Robin #16

/ / Comics

Batman and Robin #16In the latest Death of the Family crossover a captured Damian is pitted against a Joker-Venom-enhanced Batman in a battle to the death as the Joker gleeful watches to see how far the deadly new Boy Wonder will go to save his own skin.

Of course it’s not really Batman under that cowl. Something that is all too obvious to the reader isn’t even considered for a moment by the New 52‘s smartest 10 year-old. The Joker doesn’t get the outcome he wants, but he is able to torment Damian in yet another pointless crossover issue that feels more like a Saw-inspired Batman parody than an actual Bat-book.

There’s plenty of gruesome action here. And the comic has one highlight where the far too dim Damian makes a concious effort not to kill the man he believes is his father. Sadly it’s too little, too late. Pass.

[DC, $2.99]

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Gangster Squad

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Gangster Squad
  • IMDB: link

gangster-squad-posterGangster Squad is an average straight-to-DVD action flick that happens to be set in the 1950’s and boast a cast of actors all of whom are slumming here. Adapted from Paul Lieberman’s book, the film centers around real events in Los Angeles when a select group of cops worked to take down gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) by any means necessary. And by “adapted” I mean any relation to the events covered in Lieberman’s book (such as who survives and how Cohen was eventually taken down) to screenwriter Will Beall‘s script are likely accidental.

I can only guess director Ruben Fleischer lured the likes of Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, and Robert Patrick to the project with the proposal of making something akin to The Untouchables (which this film desperately wants to be compared to). With poorly cast actors, dreadful dialogue, costumes and sets that feel more like costumes and sets than period locations and attire, Gangster Squad couldn’t be further from Brian De Palma‘s terrific film. It’s actually closer to something as completely forgettable as Takers.

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