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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Rise of the Superheroes (2018) in Movies
Oct 2, 2020
Rise of the Superheroes is a "good enough" look into the history of comic book movies if you have a couple of hours to kill.
It covers a lot of ground from the 40s Batman serial series, all the way up to 2018s Black Panther, and has some notable comic book alumni amongst the interviewers, including the likes of Chris Claremont, Chuck Dixon, Scott Beauty, and Neal Adams.
The problem is however, a genre as big as comic book movies needs a big budget documentary to go with it. It would be nice to see some of the actors involved in the interviews, it would benefit from flashier graphics, it would benefit from a longer run time or even a series to properly explore the ever growing number of properties making the jump from page to screen.
The boom of comic movies from X-Men (2000) onwards is all crammed into the last 30 minutes as the feature rushes to wrap up, and as a result, Rise of the Superheroes doesn't feel that comprehensive, and offers nothing new to an audience who will likely already know what is talked about here.
It's an easy and casual watch if you have an interest in the subject, but nothing more.
It covers a lot of ground from the 40s Batman serial series, all the way up to 2018s Black Panther, and has some notable comic book alumni amongst the interviewers, including the likes of Chris Claremont, Chuck Dixon, Scott Beauty, and Neal Adams.
The problem is however, a genre as big as comic book movies needs a big budget documentary to go with it. It would be nice to see some of the actors involved in the interviews, it would benefit from flashier graphics, it would benefit from a longer run time or even a series to properly explore the ever growing number of properties making the jump from page to screen.
The boom of comic movies from X-Men (2000) onwards is all crammed into the last 30 minutes as the feature rushes to wrap up, and as a result, Rise of the Superheroes doesn't feel that comprehensive, and offers nothing new to an audience who will likely already know what is talked about here.
It's an easy and casual watch if you have an interest in the subject, but nothing more.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Uncanny X-Men: The New Age, Volume 4: End of Greys in Books
Nov 30, 2020
So, in my review for HOUSE OF M, I mentioned that I was making up for all I missed when it came out originally in 2006, like this TPB. This was not the book I was hoping it would be!
Chris Claremont, when he was on his game, he was good. His stories were decent, his characters cool, and at a base level, the heroes were heroes and the villains were villains. And even despite the initial outfit that Emma Frost first debuted in, his characters were not as objectified as they were in this run of UXM!
From the panels of Betsy Braddock, working out in a belly highlighting top and tight short shorts, to Rachel Grey, in a midriff baring t-shirt and little frilly bikini underwear in bed at night, the art within served as nothing more than fan service! It did not enhance the story, nor did it do anything to advance the plot. All it succeeded in doing was satisfying hornball fanboy desires!
<a href="https://s51.photobucket.com/user/dcericola/media/example2.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="https://oi51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/dcericola/example2.png"; border="0" alt=" photo example2.png"/></a>
It's a shame, really, as the first three issues of the trade were quite good. I thought Chris Bachalo turned in some solid art, excepting the aforementioned unnecessary "cheesecake". But, after his run, it was followed by art from Jon Sibal, which was not as smooth as Bachalo's, but still managed to sandwich in more Rachel Grey fan service, this time, in the shower as the O.N.E. sentinels were watching via CCTV!
There was a time where I would have welcomed art like that in my comics, but that me is no longer relevant or welcome. I have a different mindset, one in which I am focused on what the story offers, rather than just visualization alone.
I gave this one 2 Stars, as I was taking into account Bachalo's art and Claremont's scripting on the first three issues of this TPB. I have one more undertaking, SON OF M, which I am hoping will be better than this turned out to be!
#disappointment
Chris Claremont, when he was on his game, he was good. His stories were decent, his characters cool, and at a base level, the heroes were heroes and the villains were villains. And even despite the initial outfit that Emma Frost first debuted in, his characters were not as objectified as they were in this run of UXM!
From the panels of Betsy Braddock, working out in a belly highlighting top and tight short shorts, to Rachel Grey, in a midriff baring t-shirt and little frilly bikini underwear in bed at night, the art within served as nothing more than fan service! It did not enhance the story, nor did it do anything to advance the plot. All it succeeded in doing was satisfying hornball fanboy desires!
<a href="https://s51.photobucket.com/user/dcericola/media/example2.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="https://oi51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/dcericola/example2.png"; border="0" alt=" photo example2.png"/></a>
It's a shame, really, as the first three issues of the trade were quite good. I thought Chris Bachalo turned in some solid art, excepting the aforementioned unnecessary "cheesecake". But, after his run, it was followed by art from Jon Sibal, which was not as smooth as Bachalo's, but still managed to sandwich in more Rachel Grey fan service, this time, in the shower as the O.N.E. sentinels were watching via CCTV!
There was a time where I would have welcomed art like that in my comics, but that me is no longer relevant or welcome. I have a different mindset, one in which I am focused on what the story offers, rather than just visualization alone.
I gave this one 2 Stars, as I was taking into account Bachalo's art and Claremont's scripting on the first three issues of this TPB. I have one more undertaking, SON OF M, which I am hoping will be better than this turned out to be!
#disappointment
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 4 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
This was a hella good tine, re-reading issues I have not read since they first came out in the 70s! As I immersed myself, it was actually thrilling me to remember how good the team of [Chris] Claremont, [John] Byrne and [Terry] Austin were together. Each subsequent showed the art team developing it's own style, becoming more comfortable with the characters, each set of pencils and inks that much tighter!
One thing I definitely noticed, and did not think about altogether until my wife and I started rewatching FIREFLY, was how Wolverine/Logan was like the Jayne Cobb of the X-Men. Serious similarities! Even down to how both characters would have barbs toward their respective leaders (Jayne/Mal; Wolverine/Cry-clops), but when it came down to it, both were pretty good at fighting/backing up the team.
One other observation.. I did not realize how "politically incorrect" some of the early characters were. For example, a member of Alpha Force, "the Canadian X-Men, was Michael Twoyoungmen (codename: Shaman). That is probably the WORST Native American name EVER! I am surprised they have not tried to retcon his real name! Then again, now that I think about it, I can't recall the last time any of the Alpha Flight team members were mentioned in last 10 years, other than Northstar! I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Overall. it's good run of X-Men stories. Yeah, many times the dialogue will seem corny AF, but the overall story is what really matters, and at the end, that will really be what matters! Check it out, or miss it, but I think you will be sorry if you overlook it...
One thing I definitely noticed, and did not think about altogether until my wife and I started rewatching FIREFLY, was how Wolverine/Logan was like the Jayne Cobb of the X-Men. Serious similarities! Even down to how both characters would have barbs toward their respective leaders (Jayne/Mal; Wolverine/Cry-clops), but when it came down to it, both were pretty good at fighting/backing up the team.
One other observation.. I did not realize how "politically incorrect" some of the early characters were. For example, a member of Alpha Force, "the Canadian X-Men, was Michael Twoyoungmen (codename: Shaman). That is probably the WORST Native American name EVER! I am surprised they have not tried to retcon his real name! Then again, now that I think about it, I can't recall the last time any of the Alpha Flight team members were mentioned in last 10 years, other than Northstar! I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Overall. it's good run of X-Men stories. Yeah, many times the dialogue will seem corny AF, but the overall story is what really matters, and at the end, that will really be what matters! Check it out, or miss it, but I think you will be sorry if you overlook it...