Goodbye Amy & Rory. The married companions left Doctor Who in The Angels Take Manhattan. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will be missed. All the previous episodes of this season have been hinting and building to the moment but it was still a bittersweet shock.
This episode was Steven Moffat at the top of his game – twisted, creepy, chilling, moving and uncompromising – we all knew it wasn’t going to be all sewn up with a completely happy ending. Matt Smith and Alex Kingston were perfection. Thank you Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill for giving us Amy and Rory.
Tonight the new season of REVENGE begins on ABC so I thought it was a perfect time to revisit this crazy idea I had:
They’re rich, powerful, blonde, manipulative and can deliver razor-sharp one liners like Hand assassin throwing daggers.
Emma Frost is the reformed White Queen of the Hellfire Club and now co-leader of the X-Men.
Nolan Ross (played by Gabriel Mann) is the witty, scheming, brilliant high-tech billionaire with too much time, money and tech on the hit ABC show Revenge.
If ever too characters from similar worlds but different mediums should cross over it’s these two. As I watch Revenge I can’t help but think if Emma had a long-lost twin it might be Nolan. I could even picture Conrad Grayson sipping cocktails in the old school Hellfire Club – an exclusive cabal of ultra rich power brokers who have clashed with the X-Men.
This is what happens when a geek has too much time his hands – spinning two of my favorite vices into a twisted idea. Disney does own both companies behind these properties and I can see Frost on holiday in the Hamptons crossing paths with Ross, Emily Thorne – and can you imagine Emma taking out Victoria Grayson!
After all – most comic books are soaps in spandex – so why not let the characters fo Revenge feel a touch of Frost.
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #5 courtesy IDW Publishing
Warning: This review contains spoilers!
The unholy alliance of the Borg and Cybermen has shattered. The Federation’s greatest enemies are asking the Enterprise for help?
Can Doctor Who convince Captain Jean-Luc Picard to make the right decision that will save the Federation and entires universes?
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who Assimilation 2 #5 is a break in the action of the crossover but still every bit as enjoyable of previous chapters. You could call this a “show my yours and I’ll show you mine” chapter.
Guinan convinces Captain Picard to reveal his experience with the Borg taking us back to the classic “Best of Both Worlds” episodes giving the Time Lord context of why Picard refuses to aid the Borg. The Doctor presses on trying to convince the Captain of the greater evil.
The Doctor fails. It’s up to Amy Pond and it’s a great moment that you could just picture Karen Gillan saying on television. Soon Captain Picard is saying the classic line “it’s bigger on the inside. How it this possible?”
A trip in the Tardis shows Picard the future of the Federation and leads to a course correction.
I commend the writers for capturing the essences of each character from each franchise. Rory, Deanna Troi and Dr. Crusher share moments that make this crossover work. The Borg and Cybermen are battling each other. This issue was a battle of wills between Captain Picard and Doctor Who. The stage is set for an incredible alien encounter for the Doctor and an epic battle with universes at stake.
Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins deliver a big revelation, big fights and set the stage for a huge showdown in this week’s Astonishing X-Men #54.
Susan Hatchi appears to be a greedy corporate type that’s oozing evil. She could have easily fit right in with the old school Hellfire Club. Hatchi has forced New Mutant Karma to attack her teammates, blew up Wolverine at Northstar’s wedding and left the rest of the team in a hellhole.
Hatchi reveals her connection to Karma and gives the team an impossible mission with deadly consequences if they fail – all to prove a point.
I give Liu huge kudos for using Wolverine in just the right dose and giving other characters equal time. Cecilia Reyes never wanted to be an X-Man but she’s caught up in an adventure with them again. With the team in a deathtrap, Reyes pushes her power to new levels while pondering if her past choices have been wrong.
While Logan is recovering Liu shows that Remy has just as many underworld connections. Hatchi’s orders take the team to Madripoor and Gambit makes a move on Logan’s ex Tyger Tiger in a move to accomplish their mission.
Tension has been building between Iceman and Northstar. Liu continues to explore what it’s like for a hero to have a loved one always in the line of fire. Jean-Paul’s husband and all of New York City is in jeopardy. Bobby and Jean-Paul’s conflict leads to a huge fight and shocking cliffhanger – has an X-Man accidently killed an X-Man?
If you want a thrilling adventure not tied to AvX and a chance to see other mutants in action then this is a great X-Men book. I’m enjoying Liu and Perkins run and I’m excited for the showdown in Madripoor next issue.
Are you ready for the war? We have to wait but it’s worth it. Batman’s global team of crimefighters vs. Talia Al Ghul’s Leviathan army are about to battle for Gotham City. This week’s Batman Incorporated #0 shows how Bruce Wayne assembled his network of heroes.
Grant Morrison and artist Chris Burnham conceived this thrilling story – it’s fast with perfect pitches of humor. Frazier Irving creates a different tone for this origin story. The characters really pop because the backgrounds are almost not there but the hero’s action is featured over moody color tones. I think it works as we learn the many unique profiles of various agents of the Batman.
I’m not sure if we really need a zero issue for a book that hasn’t been out that long but I enjoyed it and it made me hungrier for the Batman/Talia war!
The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Hoping you will see an Avengers team up with the X-Men or Fantastic Four on the big screen – think again. Looks like Twentieth Century Fox is looking to hold on to the film rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchise and they’ve hired a comic book powerhouse to guide those franchises forward.
Writer Mark Millar has been hired as a creative consultant on the studio’s upcoming projects: Director James Mangold is now shooting The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman in a story based on the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller story of Logan in Japan. Matthew Vaughn is directing the X:Men First Class sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past. Josh Trank (Chronicle) is attached to direct a reboot of Fantastic Four.
Mark Millar co-created Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. Millar’s The Ultimates were a modern take on the Avengers and he created that line’s version of Nick Fury based on Samuel L. Jackson. You could say Marvel’s The Avengers were more like Millar’s Ultimates than old school Avengers. Millar also created Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four.
The Ultimates #1 courtesy Marvel
In main Marvel Universe Millar wrote the epic Civil War and Old Man Logan, Enemy of the State arcs of Wolverine.
Millar went on to create Millarworld titles Kick-Ass and Wanted – both went to become box office hits.
“As someone who has spent his entire life obsessed with both comic books and movies, this is essentially my dream gig as it’s a unique combination of both,” said Millar. “I spent ten years working at Marvel and am really happy with the work I did on the comic side of things so the idea of working with these characters now in a brand new medium is enormously exciting for me. I really like the Fox team, love this bold new direction they have for their franchises and am proud to be working alongside some of modern cinema’s biggest talents. James Mangold is incredible, Matthew Vaughn’s one of my closest pals and Josh Trank gave us, in my opinion, one of the greatest superhero movies of the last decade with ‘Chronicle.’ The invitation to join this crew was maybe the coolest phone call I’ve ever had.”
Op/Ed: Before directing X-Men: First Class, Matthew Vaughn directed the big screen version of Kick-Ass so if Millar has that kind of creative relationship with Vaughn then I’m excited to see how they will develop the X-franchise. I think Millar will guide the Fantastic Four reboot into darker territory instead of the most comedic tone of the previous films.
Everything you wanted to know about Doop but were afraid to ask! It’s actually more like everything Doop does that makes you scared he’s around0 kids. Mike and Laura Allred reunite with the lovable mystery (man, thing, it?) that co-created with Peter Milligan back in X-Force/X-Statix.
Doop is now working (mostly sleeping on the job) for Logan at the Jean Grey School. In this week’s Wolverine and the X-Men #17 the Allreds join writer Jason Aaron for Doop- the untold story. Now we know why Logan recruited the green ball and why he’s asleep a lot. One of the most obscure characters in comics receives a hilarious, colorful back story. What’s even better is the other outrageous and forgotten character who makes a surprise appearance in Doop’s tale. We see just how crucial a role Doop has been playing all this time and the sacrifices (sexual and otherwise) the great green one has made to protect the future of mutantkind.
This Doop-centric story isn’t just comic relief. This issue forwards the elements of this amazing series and reinforces what I love about the eclectic cast. Aaron continues to perfectly mix action, drama and humor. This is an offbeat and welcome break from the doom of AvX. Wolverine may be the only character who can understand Doop’s language but the green guy speaks volumes on the pages of this issue – maybe the funniest of the year.
The final chapter of Avengers vs. X-Men is almost here and with it the final (?)fate of Hope Summers. Hopefully we will learn her true origin and connection with the Phoenix Force (and perhaps Jean Grey?)
Avengers vs. X-Men #12 courtesy Marvel
The Generation Hope series was so promising with an amazing cast of young characters but was a victim of poor sales and (in my opinion) not fitting in with two planned events. Idie has become a student at the Jean Grey School. The other kids stayed on Utopia and Hope became the source of AvX conflict but what will happen to Hope.
Hope and Storm at Emerald City Comicon 2012 photo by ComicsBlend.com
Hope is a strong young female character. I don’t think we have enough of them in comics today. I always say a new character is making an impact when you see an inspired cosplay fan. (Pixie Cloud of the Great Northwest!) In fact, I saw rival Hopes at Jet City Comic Show this weekend!
photo by ComicsBlend.com
It feels like Hope’s story is coming to an end and she will be sacrificed to save the Earth (and Scott.) Layla (“I know stuff”) Miller was a critical character in House of M and went on be part of Peter David’s X-Factor. As much as I would hate to see Hope go it feels like she should and wrap up story threads born in Messiah Complex.
Avengers vs X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel
Hope triggered the Five Lights which included some new female mutants. Maybe Hope’s final act in AvX will save the mutant race and give birth to more strong characters. The final fate of Hope is in the hands (as they reach for their wallets) of the fans so maybe Hope is alive in the Marvel Now!
