Bin Fodder - Ultra Comic Review

Welcome to another edition of Bin Fodder!  This week I spotlight another Image Comics book, Ultra: Seven Days, written and created by the Luna Brothers.  The Luna Brothers are possibly the best (if only) Asian brother duo in comics.  Other books they’ve created are Girls and Sword, which are both Image books. 

The book is probably best described as a cross between Superman and Sex and the City.  You have the hero everybody loves, Ultra, and her two best friends Aphrodite (the slutty one) and Cowgirl (the innocent girl, daughter of the mayor).  But don’t lose hope, men, there’s plenty of eye candy to keep you into the story if you somehow fail to realize that you’re actually reading an excellent piece of writing.  Each issue ends on a cliffhanger of one kind or another.  It compels you to turn the page or buy the next issue.

Ultra is set in a world where superheroes are commonplace, so much so that they have representation (agents) and do ads for things like “Cool Cola” or “Levy’s Jeans”.  The story of Seven Days centers on the main character Ultra. (insert picture of Ultra)

She’s reached a crossroads in her life as a person and as a superhero.  A random encounter with a fortune teller, forced upon her by best friend Aphrodite, sets Ultra on reluctant search for true love.  Don’t worry though, there’s still plenty of action and sexy undertones throughout.

Ultra, whose real name is Pearl Penalosa, has a chance encounter with a guy whom after an awkward, cut-short-by-superhero-y-things conversation, she agrees on a date with.  The situation ends badly for Pearl in a thankfully unpredictable way.  The man, who seems genuine and even likable in his awkward and self-doubting way, ends up taking pictures of himself in bed with the sleeping super heroine all covered in bruises and sells the pictures and his tale to a sleazy tabloid.  This ruins Ultra’s previously untainted persona as the squeaky-clean heroine. 

As Pearl tries to recover from the public outrage against her she turns to friend Cowgirl, Jen, for a relaxing lunch and talk about life at the top of an under-construction skyscraper (ya know, a normal place to have a nice quiet lunch).  It’s here that Jen decides to express her concern for Pearl’s well being and express her love for her with a kiss.  

The admission that her best friend is in love with her does nothing to help Pearl’s situation, but as a super heroine the job never really stops. The next day she is forced to deal with a new ultra powerful super villain, a pyrokinetic.  During this fight Ultra is nearly killed and when she wakes up the hospital she starts to realize how short and fleeting life really can be.

In the end Pearl realizes that being Ultra isn’t the end-all, be-all of her existence and she decides to leave the business. 

I’d definitely consider this a book for everyone.  It’s got pieces for men and women alike.   

Until next time,

This is Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off!

Bin Fodder - Phonogram Comic Review

Welcome to this week’s edition of Bin Fodder.  Today I’m spotlighting a personal favorite of mine (as opposed to the previous installments, hah!) called Phonogram.  It was originally sold as individual issues but I picked it up in trade form at a convention at one of those “50% Off All Trades” booths.  You are no doubt familiar with them.  It was probably the best random ComiCon purchase aside from all twelve issues of this gem.  But I digress, Phonogram.

It’s a tale of music and magic and how they are intertwined.  The story follows a “phonomancer” named David Kohl.  Since no one in the whole of Internetdom has taken the time to define and explain what a phonomancer is I will do so here.  A phonomancer is a person whom, through magic, engenders power to music.  That’s possibly the most complicated definition ever, but it’s the simplest.

The world of Phonogram is England with much of the story focusing on the lost state of Britpop (which is curiously a real word…never would have figured that).  Phonogram was written by well-known English writer Kieron Gillen, who is possibly the most worthy writer I’ve spotlighted to be called a Geek.  The artist Jamie McKelvie is less well-known but not for lack of talent.  His style is solid and his shading in this black & white comic is outstanding.  It was not uncommon for me to lose myself in the art as I was reading the story.

So what is the story about?  I’m glad you asked.  It’s a philosophical exploration of how music can impact the lives of everyone who listen to it.  It all starts when a very powerful phonomancer witch named The Goddess tricks Kohl into attending a club event geared towards women, knowing that a wealth of musically challenged, indie-loving, singer/songwriter chicks would be too much for him to pass up.  She attacks and subsequently curses Kohl. setting him on a quest to discover who is messing with Britannia.  Britannia is an idea.  She is rooted in Britpop in its two most well-received formats, the sixties and the nineties.  She also was the phonomancer who created Kohl.  I don’t want to give too much away but I do want to give some insight into the story and character of Kohl.

Courtesy of Image Comics

Phonomancers use magic in different ways throughout the story.  For instance, a basic ability that every phonomancer seems to have is to be able to sense the band that any person loves most of all.  Kohl uses this power on more than one occasion to score with a pretty young thing.  He isn’t a bad guy…or, well ok, he kind of is a prick as is emblematic in this excerpt right from the first page of the story:

I look in the mirror and I like what I see.  Sure, image is the first dogma of the Faustian process – but I’m all too at home with that.  Buzzcut like a squaddie on the town.  Glasses like an existentialist poet.  Black.  Black.  More black.  Still thin enough, just.  And a tough extra, especially for this evening’s festivities.  A bootleg pop-icon t-shirt [black and silver Superman] I picked up on a festival site because it was too damn cold.  Plastic coat packed with silver fluid.  Artificial enough to make you think it’s filled with Chernobyl waste.  Toxic and make.  Utterly noxious.  Totally perfect.  This evening I’m not a man.  I’m a mutation.  A genetic dead-end.  I’m a monster with a tumour hanging between its thighs.  I’m a white man in clitoris palace.  I’m…such a cock.

Before you outright decide to hate the character he does redeem himself throughout the story through acts that may appear at first to be selfless but are really quite selfish.  So where does the redemption come in?  That I’ll let you find out for yourself, but it’s there.  Buried deep in the undertones of the story.  Another version of a phonomancer is a “retromancer”.  A retromancer is someone who uses “classic” music, usually within a club setting, to feed off the memories that the music envokes within the people involved in the setting.  The retromancer gains power, youth, and vitality through magic.  There is a moment where David, who truly despises the retromancer culture, counters the spells of one such phonomancer whilst in a club causing the retromancer to wither.

I recommend this title highly because it’s an extremely smart book, which is saying something in the comics industry.  It gives you insight into a world most Americans aren’t at all familiar with and manages to do so without an overbearing amount of jargon too often found in British titles.  You may be wondering, however silently or loudly, why should I be interested in a story set in England dealing with crazy magic and crazy music references?  To quote someone I can’t remember, the question is the answer.

Music is an extremely powerful entity and this story explores the possibility of people actually using music to sculpt the world.  How cool is that!?  As you read through this potent story you are bombarded with references to bands and songs you may not have ever heard of much less understand or be able to define.  Never fear; the writer doesn’t leave you hanging.  The trade contains a comprehensive list of the bands and songs referenced, each with a brief synopsis of the band or a depiction of the importance of the specific song.

Take it from me, Phonogram is very much worth your dollars and time to read.

So, my friends, go Bin Diving and find this and other gems!

Until next time,

This is Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off!

Bin Fodder - White Picket Fences Comic Review

This is the first in a series of Bin Fodder throwback reviews.  Several years ago I started writing comic reviews on a site and now I want to share them with my core audience: you lovely folks!  I will be publishing these on a fairly regular basis so keep an eye out for them!

Welcome, once again, to another installment of Bin Fodder.  This week I’m spotlighting an indie comic that has been critically acclaimed for its original mini-series and has new issues hitting shelves starting in July 2011.  White Picket Fences is written by Matt Anderson & Eric Hutchins with art by Micah Farritor and is published by Ape Entertainment.  Much the same as with my article last week on Blue Monday, it would not surprise me if you had never heard of this title or even the publisher for that matter.  But Ape Entertainment has had its share of reputable titles such as creator owned properties Athena Voltaire and Subculture and licensed properties like Shrek and the upcoming series Kung Fu Panda.

Courtesy of Ape Entertainment

White Picket Fences is classic 1950s sci-fi meets Leave it to Beaver.  It takes place in Greenview, a typical middle-America town and follows the escapades of three young boys: Charlie, Tommy, and Parker.  In this world anything is possible and things we would think very odd are simply accepted.  For instance, not only are there Martians and Venutians, but they had a war and Earth was involved.
The first mini-series centers around a piece of technology kept, in secret, by Earth after it was supposed to be destroyed on instructions from the Martians.  As was a staple in many of the 50s sci-fi masterpieces, namely The Day the Earth Stood Still, humans cannot be trusted with high-technology because of our propensity for willful destruction.  The main character, Charlie, stumbles upon the “controller” for this weapon while exploring an old barn on the outskirts of town and decides to take it.

In typical child-like fashion Charlie is fiddling with the controller and accidentally activates the weapon which fires a beam of energy into outer space.  This action brings to town American government officials in the form the Army as well as a Martian official.  Remembering that this is a story meant for all ages that is not trying to take itself too seriously, the writers don’t forget bring the funny.  The exchange between the American General Whitman and the Martian official is pretty hilarious and results in Mars launching its forces at the Earth, spoiling for a fight.

I won’t ruin the ending but…the boys live and the world isn’t destroyed.  Ok, maybe that does ruin it.  My bad.

In the follow-up, double-sized one-shot (jeez, that’s a lot of hyphens) the boys are once again facing serious and dangerous ordeals.  The first part, written by Anderson, engages the boys in a bit of exploration of the “creepy” house in town.  As it turns out the house really is creepy where the mad scientist Dr. Vincent Niemann has created a werewolf, a mummy, and several other ghoulish creatures.  You’ll have to pick up the book to find out what happens next!

The second part, written by Hutchins, brings a much larger scale to the exploits of this quiet Midwestern town.  And by large I mean giant…as in giant beetles!  In what can only be considered a “government experiment gone wrong” giant beetles are unleashed on an unsuspecting American public and against all odds they end up Greenview.  This issue introduces a new friend to the group, Ken.  As it turns out he is able to help save the town in a most…extraordinary manner.

As independent comics go, this one is top-notch.  The art is amazing; Farritor knocks it out of the park.  The writing is top-class; Anderson and Hutchins hit their beats strong and make you want to turn the page and see what happens next.

So, my friends, go Bin Diving and find this and other gems!

Until next time,

This is Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off!

Movie Review: X-Men – Days of Future Past

Courtesy of x-menmovies.com

In this the fifth installment of X-Men movies, they finally got it right; from a storyline choice.  Whereas they tried, with complete ineffectiveness, to tell the Phoenix saga in movies past, here they took a well contained, almost minor story of Days of Future Past – all told, forty-eight pages of comic awesome.  With over forty years of ongoing tales, with countless issues and storylines to choose from it’s a joy to see something more settled come to light.

For those of you not familiar with the story as a whole, being as that the comic was originally published in 1989 (with subsequent reprints) it’s understandable if you’re not, the tale is set fifty years in the future.  The Sentinel program which was meant to quell the mutant aberration has turned into something much worse, hunting and killing not just mutants but those who would someday have mutant children.  Few mutants survived the onslaught (pardon the pun) and those that did were forever changed. 

The movie sets the viewer on a journey back in time to the 1970’s where we are introduced to a drunk, walking Professor Xavier.  Taking a serum which allows him to walk but suppresses his mutant powers, Xavier is lost; devastated by heartbreak.

Courtesy of x-menmovies.com

Wolverine/Logan is our main character, mentally sent back in time on a mission to unite those who couldn’t be move divergent – Xavier and Lehnsherr (Magneto), in an effort to interject and stop events from unfolding as they did which led to the future which Logan is sent back from.

Setting aside the time-space-paradox of being sent back in time (within the same timeline) to alter it – the idea in and of itself is cool and interesting since it involves mental time-travel, not actual physical time-travel like Cable/Bishop/Forge undertake at various times in the comics.  (if you don’t know those characters – GO LOOK THEM UP)

Days is captivating.  Certainly there are plot holes and things that any number of people could point to as incorrect or simply disliked portions of the movie.  I for one wasn’t wild about the ending.  But overall the movie is visually dynamic with amazing special affects and CGI Sentinels mixed with fantastic battle scenes involving a wide range of mutant powers.

Courtesy of x-menmovies.com

The cast of characters is outstanding: Bishop, Sunspot, Blink and Storm are but a few of the X-Men on display.  Blink is an interesting choice – certainly a fan favorite but most assuredly not part of the original group of characters in the comic…since the wasn’t invented till several years later during the Age of Apocalypse story, which on a side-note was probably the best thing Marvel has done in terms of Universe-spanning stories (with Infinity Gauntlet a close second).  Her inclusion sets up, potentially, her timeline to be the focal point of the next X-Men movie, which is already set to put Apocalypse front and center (FINALLY) as the villain.  Magneto, though surely a focal point in the comics for many years, was overdone to be sure.

There’s going to be a lot of really good movies out this summer: Godzilla (which you can read my review HERE), Guardians of the Galaxy and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes round out the blockbusters and Days of Future Past is more than worth the price of admission.  Whether you’ve been a fan of the comics for years, or came along with the movies or even if you’ve never read or seen anything related to the X-Men before – that’s ok, this movie welcomes you with open arms.  There are a few things you won’t understand at first, but the plot and overall story doesn’t require prior knowledge because a lot of it isn’t rooted in existing lore – it’s invented for the movie.

Go forth, partake and enjoy the fruits of Bryan Singer’s labor. 

BE SURE to stay through the credits…it’s worth it, trust me.

Godzilla Movie Review

**Mild Spoilers – Nothing Direct**

The King of the Monsters – that is what they once called him.  There was a time in past when Godzilla was more of a spoof character (not specifically talking about the 1998 American version, but that’s certainly part of the consideration).  As with any movie franchise at a certain point the developers run out of ways to make good films and they just start making things people will hopefully shell out money to see.

This revamp of the Godzilla character, directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) who makes his blockbuster movie debut with this film comes out swinging for the fences. 

The writer, Max Borenstein is a relative unknown with no major motion picture experience; which unfortunately shows in the human character development. 

Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Let’s start with the bad, since there isn’t much and there’s no terrible.  I am of the camp who thinks that monster movies should focus on the monsters; especially in a Godzilla movie where you can have epic battles and don’t need an intricate character-driven script to tell an amazing story.  “Godzilla fights a Monster in downtown San Francisco for an hour” – Best. Pitch. Ever.

The problem with Godzilla from a human character standpoint is Borenstein tries to make us care – I’m assuming with the hope that the audience will then care more that these people are in danger.  They even tried to establish the fatality element with killing a “main” character early on.   But in reality, American movies have a track-record of not letting focal characters die so even when they are in “danger” they’re really not. 

I never once care about the humans in this movie; the acting isn’t bad, it’s not the actors fault – I wasn’t compelled by the nature of their story to become invested.  Other than Ken Watanabe’s character, who has maybe all of 20, introspective and impactful lines.  Now; on to the good stuff.

GODZILLA IS A BADASS.

Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Taking inspiration from some of the cheesier Japanese movies in the past Godzilla is the good guy – even though the United States military may have alternate ideas about that.  The scene where you first see him brings back so many memories of all the previous incarnations and his feet (which are the first part you see) look somewhat funny because they are so thick and stumpy, but when you see him in all his glory it is a sight to behold.

In the story, Godzilla is basically a bully – like the Earth is his playground and if you think you’re badass enough to play here we’re going to rumble and I will probably breathe fire in your face.  Watanabe’s character is who first realizes that Godzilla isn’t part of the problem but is their only chance at a solution, he has a great line where an Admiral asks his advice for solving the problem with the creatures rampaging though the Western United States and he just says, “let them fight”. 

The overarching story involving the creatures is solid – I don’t want to give anything away but it makes sense from a natural order perspective.  Special effects are masterful and though you are left wishing the fight scenes between Godzilla and his opponent were even longer there is still plenty of destruction for the rampaging glutton inside you.  To that point, there’s even a scene where an entire skyscraper falls on top of Godzilla…seriously.

The film’s been out in the US for about 36 or so hours and if you haven’t seen it yet, get off your ass and go to the earliest show you can today.  I went to a theatre that is notoriously dead (as it is in a mall that barely even exists anymore) and it was still a relatively full seating. 

As with any action-laden movie viewing thus on the big-screen is a must, but when you see Godzilla fill the screen and roar, don’t be surprised if your pants feel funny.

Game of Thrones: Catch Up!

Whenever I do something I rarely assume it is completely unique to me. Case in point: since I do not chose to pay for the cable package required to afford me access to HBO I had not previously seen Game of Thrones.

Many years ago when it first came to paperback I purchased the book. I remembered enjoying it but it didn't cry out to me that I had to stick with the series, and thus; I was familiar but not super interested in the show. But by the time season three was happening enough people I know, most of whom are not at all the type that would read a "fantasy" book or be interested in such types of stories, were raving about it all over social media. Thanks to the beauty of DVD Box Sets, I was able to catch up quite quickly and Season 3 was quite amazing.

Season 4 is upon us and if you don't want to go back and watch all 30 hours of the first three seasons, allow me to catch you back up.

First - the houses:

Stark -

Wardens of the North, Lords of Winterfell - mostly dead.  Eddard, the liege lord of Winterfell died at the hands of Ser Ilyn Payne under the orders of the bastard King Joffrey.  Arrya, whom escaped Kings Landing with the help of a member of the Night's Watch, was then captured by Lannister forces and eventually escaped, only to wind up the prisoner/compatriot of The Hound.  Sansa, betrothed to Joffrey, mistreated for the deeds of her Father and Brother, escapes by circumstance of Joffrey casting her aside for another only to wind up the wife of Tyrion Lannister.  Rob, the King in the North, called in the bannerman of the North and marched on Kings Landing, originally to rescue his father from the cells beneath the Red Keep and eventually to enact justice for the murder of Eddard; died at the hands of Frey men, under the direction of Tywin Lannister.  Catelyn; died alongside her son, not knowing that Arrya was within 100 yards of her - she hadn't seen her in years.  Jon Snow - member of the Nights Watch, joined the caravan that went North of the wall - killed his compatriot and joined the Wildlings and their King Beyond the Wall - this was merely a cover.  He betrayed his new brethren and returned to Castle Black.

Lannister -

Lords of Casterly Rock.  Tywin, having saved the Red Keep and all of Kings Landing from the siege of Stannis Baratheon, was named Hand of the King by Joffrey. Cersei, plotted to murder the king, plotted to murder Eddard Stark, sought power for herself as the Queen Regent, only to realize too late that Joffrey was a mad dog not possible to control.  Her fate now teeters towards marrying Loras Tyrell.  Jaime, Kingslayer - the truth of which becomes more and more apparent over the third season wherein he loses his right hand to a bannerman of Lord Bolton; returned to Kings Landing less of a man, but no less a Lannister.  Tyrion has had a number of adventures and was rewarded for his defense of Kings Landing during the siege that he was nearly murdered for it.  Disdained by his father and sister, Sansa is his "prize" for his deeds; but his heart belongs to another - Shae.

Targaryen -

Still in Essos, Daenerys was sold/married to Dothraki horselord Khal Drogo who eventually died at the hands of a witchdoctor.  Left with nothing she believed her own fevered dreams and brought her three Dragon Eggs (a wedding gift) into the funeral pyre of her late husband.  She arose with live dragons; and magic was reborn into the world.  Since that time she has fostered their growth and sought her own army to cross the Narrow Sea and claim her rightful seat; the Iron Throne.  Her dragons have grown large and strong and after "purchasing" an army of Unsullied (slaves) she sets to march on all the slave traders of Essos.  Her story has the most upside and I am hopeful she plays a larger role in season 4.

The story:

Westeros is a complex country with seven kingdoms and twice as many power mongers working to control all that they can.  Looming on the edge of all stories has been the ancient threat of the White Walkers - demonic creatures from North of the Wall - an adaptation of history tells me that the First Men and the Andals fought the White Walkers, pushing them back each time to their thousand year slumber.  Now, the bickering and divided men of Westeros much once again unite as the White Walkers have returned...

Check out the Season 4 Trailer HERE

Enjoy Season 4!!!


all sigil images taken from HBO

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The wonderful thing about trilogy's is their formula. First act introduces the main characters and the premise of the story, in the case of The Hobbit: Bilbo, Thorin Oakenshield and his band of Dwarves of Erebor.  Some in the company are old enough to have actually lived there, others descendants.  The second act puts the heroes in the worst possible position ever where they can't possibly win. Enter the dragon, Smaug!

Tolkien traditionalists may take umbrage with certain parts of this second installment as parts of the story were created for the screen that never existed in the book.  The same was said about the first film, such as Azog the Defiler and his dark desire to ruin the line of Thror one by one. 

In The Desolation of Smaug, the Elves play a much bigger role than in that part of the book and Orlando Bloom reprises his role from The Lord of the Rings trilogy plus the added bonus of Evangeline Lilly as Thauriel, captain of the guard for the Wood Elves and the love of Legolas. Though it must be an unrequited love as Legolas is high-born and Thauriel is a commoner.

The additions, including a strange lovestory aspect that seems almost forced despite the natural formation director Peter Jackson tries to create, are not all bad.  Where I run into issues is how they add people and scenes and then, even in a one-book-trilogy manage to butcher the great scene with the spiders of Mirkwood by shortening it inexplicably is genuinely annoying.

An addition that I did specifically enjoy was the story of Gandalf.  In the book he leaves the company as they are entering Mirkwood and then his story is never told.  In the movie we discover how he encounters the great Evil to the North and how it plays into the return of Sauron.  

The film flowed beautifully and was visually stunning. Rarely does a movie of such length not feel like a movie of such length. Here the rich story, engaging characters and various storylines keep the viewer on the edge the entire time.