2.5 Razors

The Flash #31

/ / Comics

The Flash #31I’ve got very mixed reactions on the latest issue of The Flash. On one-hand the new creative team offers up a storyline involving the theft of Central City villain weapons leading to a future peek at an old-style Mirror Master adventure complete with original costume, gun and hall of mirrors. Set 16 years in the future (is that how long we have to wait for The Rogues to be cool again?), and the future version of Barry Allen working his way back through time, it’s the strongest part of the comic by far.

Sadly the current storyline, other than Barry discovering the theft of the weapons, leaves much to be desired. Brett Booth’s choice to feature that awful yellow piping of the Flash’s costume in every frame goes from distracting to downright infuriating before long. And the continuing B-story does nothing to sell me on the New 52 Wally West who continues to share far too many bad traits with the rebooted schmuck version of Billy Batson. The cover is also one of the weakest of the series, however if you want to spend some extra cash you can shell out for Mike Allred‘s fun classic-style variant. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

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Godzilla

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Godzilla (2014)
  • IMDB: link

GodzillaGodzilla returns to the big screen in an American film for the first time since 1998. Although better than Roland Emmerich‘s much despised film, while outdoing the director known for CGI disaster porn, the new version of Godzilla isn’t without its own issues. As a summer popcorn flick the new Godzilla may satisfy in the short term but it’s unlikely to entice me to return to its story anytime soon (if ever).

Opening in 1999 in the Philippines where an ancient monster is awoken before it makes its way to Japan unseen (this happens more than you’d expect in the film) and destroys a nuclear reactor to feed on the radioactivity for the next 15 years, the film jumps forward to present day where the scientist in charge of the facility (Bryan Cranston) still struggles with what really happened. Although much of the extended opening centers around Cranston (which could be trimmed considerably), the movie’s main character is the scientist’s son Lieutenant Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a bomb disposal expert whose skills will come in quite handy before the end of the film.

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Transcendence

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Transcendence
  • IMDB: link

TranscendenceThe question about Transcendence isn’t if its eventual flaws will eventually cause you to lose interest but when. I’ll admit I was surprised, despite the ridiculous nature of what screenwriter Jack Paglen‘s script considers science, that by relying on some intriguing ideas and a solid cast the film kept me interested far longer than I expected. Of course that was before the movie went completely off the rails and crashed in a hideous and head-scratching mess.

Putting human intelligence in a machine is hardly anything new. Well before the invention of computers and the Internet sci-fi and horror authors were playing on the idea. The premise Paglen begins with is sound enough as several of the leaders in artificial intelligence are attacked by an a quasi-religous, sorta anti-technology (but not really) terrorist group. Although Will Caster (Johnny Depp) survives the initial attack, with only months left to live his wife (Rebecca Hall) and best friend (Paul Bettany) use their combined research to create an artificial intelligence out of his mind.

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Daredevil #1.50

/ / Comics

Daredevil #1.50Feeling more than a little unnecessary and out of place for a comic that just relaunched with a brand new issue last month, and feeling more like an annual or special than part of the ongoing continuity, the over-sized Daredevil #1.50 is 50th Anniversary celebration of the character which takes a look forward rather than back with what Mark Waid has in mind for the character going forward.

Split into three separate tales, each of which take place years in Matt Murdock’s future introduces us to Matt Murdock‘s son Jack and the villain Jubula Pride who turns most of the city of San Francisco in order to push Daredevil out of retirement to confront a villain who he, but not the reader, knows all too well.

Featuring back-up stories of Murdock’s wife by Brian Michael Bendis by and artist Alex Maleev and wacky fake twin storyline in homage to the character’s goofier period by writer/artist Karl Kesel, Daredevil #1.50 is a curiosity more than anything else offering a glimpse of what Waid might do with the character given no constraints and several decades. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $4.99]

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All-New X-Men #25

/ / Comics

All-New X-Men #25The “monumental” 25th issue of All-New X-Men feels much more like a forgettable annual rather than an important issue of an ongoing comic. Centered around the Beast‘s conversations with an over-talkative Watcher, the framework is a relatively weak excuse to bring in a variety of artists to give takes on their version of various X-Men characters in the present and possible futures (including Magik as Sorceress Supreme) all put in jeopardy by McCoy’s decision to bring the younger versions of his friends into the present.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s some very nice artwork here (highlighted for me by Bruce Timm’s showcasing Jean Grey in her various forms), some of it quite funny, but as a fan of the original idea of The Watcher as a silent observer I’m less than satisfied with this verbose version that even goes so far as to insult the X-Man after speaking his mind. For such a momentous issue All New X-Men #25 can easily be skipped by those not willing to pay $5 for a story that doesn’t do much of anything to further ongoing stories and whose absence won’t be felt going forward if you choose not to read it. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $4.99]

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