3 Razors

Infinite Crisis

“We’ve given them a gift they’ve thrown away.  We sacrificed everything for them.”

If Crisis on Infinite Earths streamlined and simplified the DCU, Infinite Crisis did just the opposite. 20 years after Crisis on Infinite Earths (read that review) had restructured the DCU and set a new standard for both limited series and rebooting and entire company’s comic line, DC set out to something to commemorate the event.  The result was Infinite Crisis which returns the characters seen at the end of the original leaving the newly created Earth – the Earth-2 Superman, Superboy-Prime, and Alexander Luthor.

The heroes from lost worlds return from their confinement to change the current Earth which has grown into a dark and dangerous place.  The threesome have their own plans to replace the current world with one from the now defunct vast Multiverse.  Although Kal-L’s motives are pure, the other two have their own agenda.

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newuniversal: shockfront

“I’m seeing stuff, and…yeah, it makes no snse, but I taste what I’m seeing, and sometimes feel it or smell it.”

Warren Ellis’ reinterpretation of Marvel’s New Universe was one of more memorable projects from the House of Ideas last year.  Now Ellis returns with “season two,” a new six-issue mini-series entitled newuniversal: shockfront which picks up the further adventures of Earth’s new super-powered heroes and those who want them dead.

For those who haven’t read the first mini-series, available in trade paperback and hardcover (read the review), I’d suggest giving it a peruse before jumping into Season Two.

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Better Days

“Why do I open my mouth?”
“Sir, we’re none of us sure.”

The story begins, as is often the case with this crew, with a heist which doesn’t go exactly according to plan.  The team captures a new prototype attack droid (by the skin of their teeth) only to find their contact unable to pay for the merchandise.  However, he knows where the crew can get their hands on some buried cash.  Of course this sounds like another wild goose chase, but without other options the crew agrees – only to get their biggest surprise yet.

This new three-issue mini-series, written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, takes place after the events of Serenity: Those Left Behind and before the events of the film Serenity.  With Whedon on board the characters actions and words ring true, even when the looks sometimes does not.

The art by Will Conrad is a bit spotty for me as he captures some of the characters well (Jayne, Zoe, Inara) but seems to completely miss on others (Shepherd Book, Wash).  Still, I like the look and feel of the action on the page, even if the characters themselves aren’t always quite up to snuff.

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National Treasure 2 on DVD

  • Title: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
  • IMDB: link

“Gates, people don’t believe that stuff anymore.”
“They want to believe it.”

The arrival of a mysterious man (Ed Harris) with proof that their ancestor Thomas Gates (Joel Gretsch) was a member of the group which assassinated President Lincoln leads Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), Patrick Gates (Jon Voigt), Abigail Chase (Diane Krueger), and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) on the chase to prove the existence of another treasure and clear Thomas Gates’ name.

Although not as good as the first film (read that review), there’s still quite a bit of fun to be had in this sequel which involves trips to Paris, London, Mount Vernon, and secrets buried deep inside of Mount Rushmore.  Like the first film this one includes plots and conspiracies, rival treasure hunters, and clues and secrets which must be found and deciphered.  Plus we get the gang once again breaking into places they shouldn’t including the Oval Office, Buckingham Palace, and even kidnapping the President of the United States (Bruce Greenwood) to ask him about a President’s Book of Secrets which just might hold the answer’s Gates is searching for.

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The Forbidden Kingdom

  • Title: The Forbidden Kingdom
  • IMDb: link

“I’ll kill you witch!”
“Not if I kill you first orphan bitch!”

forbidden-kingdom-poster

Based on one of the four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Journey to the West, this new adaptation tells the story of a Jason (Michael Angarano) a young boy from Boston who finds himself thrust into a magical world and charged with returning the golden staff to the Monkey King (Jet Li) thus freeing him from his stone prison and freeing the land from the tyranny of the man who turned him into a statue, the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou).

Along the way to seek the wizard, um, I mean Warlord, Jason encounters companions who journey with him to help him on his quest including a drunken master (Jackie Chan), a beautiful girl hell-bent on revenge (Yifei Liu), and a monk (Jet Li). Together this small band of rebels travels through forests and deserts across the yellow brick road to reach the fortress, take on the Jade Army, led by the Warlord’s assassin (Li Bing Bing), and defeat Cobra Kai, um, I mean release the Monkey King.

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