Category: marvel

Deadpool and Wolverine

You know you’re in trouble when Deadpool is your saving grace….Wade’s been through alot after the events of Deadpool 2. By that I mean, he hung up the guns and katanas and tried living a normal life, sucking at it, losing his spark when getting turned down by the Avengers. When the TVA shows up offering Wade legendary hero status in a new universe, he’s elated, until he realizes his universe is dying. To save it, his universe needs a new Wolverine. So it’s up to the Merc with a Mouth to find a Wolverine, escape a wasteland of banished Marvel characters, and become a goddamn Disney hero. Ain ‘t the multiverse fun?

Deadpool took the world by storm in 2016. Even with comic book movie fatigue setting in and many fans giving up on the MCU, the end of the Deadpool trilogy was the last hurrah for many. I had mixed feelings going in. My opinion of 2 soured over time, I didn’t trust Disney, and after Logan and the brilliant end to Hugh Jackman’s time as Wolverine, bringing him back, albeit as a variant, still soured things for me. After multiple rewatches, it still does. However, overall, the six-year wait was well worth it. Reynolds and Jackman bring their A games and have fantastic chemistry. The fights are bloody and memorable. Finally seeing Wolverine in his classic yellow and blue was a nerd dream come true. The cameos were outstanding and 1 in particular stole the show (I don’t want to spoil it but it was damn good to see some classics come back).

Not every joke lands, and I wish we got more crazier Deadpools for the final fight (namely Pandapool), and this movie doesn’t work nearly as well unless you’re a Marvel fan or grew up with 2000’s movies. I’ve heard casuals say the movie was a little confusing, but it’s much easier to follow than a lot of MCU stuff. In the end, Deadpool 3 is a great end to the trilogy and an even better send-off to the Fox Marvel era. Its packed with blood, fights, and nerdy fanservice that’s hard not to love. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Thunderbolts (New Avengers)

This Wheaties box is one of the funniest jokes in the film, and I laughed way too hard…Thunderbolts picks up with a group of the MCU outcasts (Yelena, US Agent, Red Guardian, Ghost, and Taskmaster) being ordered to infiltrate a shady testing facility. After duking it out a bit, they come a scrawny dude named Bob, the last living subject of a certain medical test. Bob, a former drug addict suffering from mental illness, stands out of this group like a sore thumb. But what if I told you Bob was a force that outmatches the powerhouses of Marvel like Hulk, Thor, and Captain Marvel? Under the devious influence of government head Valentina de Fontaine, Bob is molded into the Sentry, the world’s greatest hero. Can the outcasts, aligned with Winter Soldier and Red Guardian, stand a chance against Fontaine and the darkness inside Bob-for every light there is a darkness, and that darkness is the Void…

Going in, I knew what this movie was: MCU Suicide Squad. Basically, it’s what the comics are, and honestly, they’ve never been my thing, but I gave it a shot. With Captain America: Brave New World being a dud and Fantastic 4: First Steps being the best MCU flick since Spider-man: No Way Home , I was curious where this lay.

The cast is the biggest positive in my opinion. Everyone gives it their all. Florence Pugh, since her Black Widow debut, has been a bright light in the MCU’s darker days. Luis Pullman did great as Bob/Sentry/ Void. The final act goes for emotional character stakes instead of a giant boss battle, easily the best climax to a MCU film in a while. I liked the darker, mature themes like mental health, drug abuse, trauma, and guilt. The movie handled them well without going overly dark or trying to preach.

Unfortunately, the MCU itself, or rather its formula of forced humor, is this movie’s biggest weakness. I didn’t laugh much, but I rolled my eyes a lot more than I wanted to. Most of the action scenes were meh overall. Taskmaster is utterly wasted and is just a body to drop for pretend stakes (sorry for the spoiler, but seriously, the marketing spoiled it pretty quick). Valentina has been built up for a while, and her endgame didn’t really feel like much of a payoff.

In the end, the movie is ok but easily could have been above average. What it does good, it does great. The flaws kill it. It’s worth watching and I’m not mad they’ll return for Doomsday. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Wolverine PS5 trailer reveal

Am I the only one who thought this game would never come? After years of rumors, we finally got a trailer and all I got to say is- damn. Graphically, it’s beautiful and oh so bloody. Seriously, I love that they went all out on the gore. The characters look great. I’m personally stoked for Omega Red. My only worry is how to do a full game on Logan without it getting repetitive. Also, much like making a game based on Hulk, Superman, or Thor, the question also arises how to pull the indestructible death machine that is Wolverine without making him feel nerfed. I guess we’ll find out next fall. I can’t wait to see more. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Captain America: Brave New World

Some time has passed since Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Sam Wilson faces his first crisis as Captain America. When former Cap and friend, Isiah Bradley, tries to assassinate former Hulk antagonist, now president, Thad Ross without any recollection, it’s up to Sam to prove his friend’s innocence. With his new Falcon, Joaquin Torres, they find a network of conspiracy and mind control led by a familiar foe out to not only ruin Ross but make him the thing he hates the most…

Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of the best movies in the MCU. Brave New World feels like a dumbed-down callback with unused Hulk sequel assets. Anthony Mackie tries his best to keep this weak script afloat, but he ultimately fails. Giancarlo Esposito gets wasted as a villain who ultimately doesn’t go anywhere; bless the man for trying. What really cripples this movie is Harrison Ford phoning in his performance as Ross; the late William Hurt damn near played the obsessed, power-hungry general in Incredible Hulk as well as the smaller return cameos in the MCU til this. The main villain is the Leader, who was also set up in the Incredible Hulk movie, and he looks godawful. He also doesn’t have his psychic powers from the comics, nor does he want to dominate a world of gamma-radiated evolved monsters. He’s a salty, sickly looking broccoli man who spouts your typical end-credits spiel. And Red Hulk is basically a glorified cameo in the end. The action scenes are fine. The movie runs at a decent pace and isn’t overly long.

In the end, Cap 4 isn’t the worst I’ve seen from the MCU ( I’m looking at you Thor: Love and Thunder ) but it’s totally skippable. Fantastic 4: First Steps gave me hope for the MCU and I’m hoping Mackie will get some good Cap time in the next 2 Avengers movies, but until then, stick to the Chris Evans trilogy. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Predator: Badlands trailer 2

Wow…this movie is starting to look pretty badass. I love the direction I see it going in. I think Badlands looks like a cool way to expand the Predator mythos. The monsters and fauna look cool and I can’t wait to see a young, fledgling Predator face off against them. I like Elle Fanning so far and how it looks like a weird buddy journey with her and the Predator. In the end I’m super hyped. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Fantastic 4: First Steps

The 1960’s have been defined by 4 heroes who have fought villains, shaped the world, and made it a better place not only for themselves and the people around them, but the newest bundle of joy joining their family. They are no strangers to danger…until a new threat emerges from the stars, announcing the imminent death of the planet- the coming of Galactus. When faced with an impossible threat, an impossible choice, can the Fantastic 4 pull off the impossible?

I’ve been through the ringer of Fantastic 4 (1994) , Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer , and the abomination known as Fant4stic so I was scared. I’m proud to say we actually got not only a great Fantastic 4 movie, but one of the best Marvel movies in years. There was a ton of love given to the comics as well as the visual aesthetic. The movie harkens back to classic 50’s/60’s sci fi and golden age comic books. I loved the actors all around. The 4 have great chemistry and true to the characters. The Silver Surfer was awesome. The true standout was Galactus which, my god, was absolutely terrifying. The movie is well-balanced between drama, comedy, sci-fi action; I’m so happy it stands on its own and doesn’t rely on the greater MCU for its characters and story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the MCU end credit scene, most of us knew it was coming. In the end, I was greatly surprised and I highly recommend the MCU debut of Marvel’s First Family. May the Galactus bring you…glory? Yanno.

Fantastic 4: First Steps trailer

Ok, so long time followers know I love Marvel’s First Family. I wrote a piece a while ago about what I wanted from them in the MCU ( What to do with Fantastic 4? ).

They’re here, along with bringing Silver Surfer and Galactus into the MCU. I love the vintage vibe the movie is going for. Ebon Moss as the Thing looks perfect. Galactus is perfect so far. I like the golden age costumes. There’s a lot of potential but the more I think, the more I’m afraid of this thing. While not as wretched as Fant4stic, I’m still seeing a huge uphill fight for this thing. I think. Starting with Surfer and Galactus is very risky. The 4’s crap track record adds anxiety as well as the serious dip in MCU quality in general. The first test screenings being meh don’t really help either. Time will tell but I am still cautiously excited. May the gaming gods flame on!

Predator: Killer of Killers trailer

Recently I covered the Predator: Badlands teaser. which I;m pretty pumped for, but we’re getting a pretty awesome appetizer with this dark, animated anthology film. I love the idea of 3 Predator stories told throughout human history: the Viking era, Feudal Japan, and WWII. I like seeing the different Yautja types and even what seems to be some space combat, which is something new to the series. I’ll definitely be checking it out this summer. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Black Panther: The Client

King Tchalla is well known as the wise, noble, ingenious king of Wakanda as well as it’s protector, they mysterious and legendary Black Panther. King Tchalla and his enigmatic entourage have come to New York after a little girl was found murdered after receiving aid from a publicized Wakandan charity. Hotshot State Dept. Everett Ross is tasked with accompanying the group, unaware the King is on a revenge quest that will sweep through not only Brooklyn but bring Ross and the Black Panther face to face with Mephisto himself…

I was curious how Marvel Knights would treat Panther. I mostly wasn’t disappointed. After the bright, CGI-filled movies of the MCU, it was refreshing to see an angry, badass Black Panther beating his way through thugs. I found this book’s take on Ross to be sleazy and just hilarious how unprepared for this kind of shit the guy is- Ross in his boxers hanging out at the apartment with Mephisto was straight-up comedy gold. The villain of the book creeped me the hell out. One of my complaints I have is the pacing is off. I wish there was more detective story and stayed more street level. Leading up to Mephisto’s involvement was really cool but I felt like the story rushed it’s way there. By the end I felt lost and had to reread chunks, swearing I missed something somewhere. The art is solid but not particularly memorable. The dialogue and writing feels dated, which does add to the comedy but I’m sure if it was intentional or not. In the end, it’s a solid book but I wouldn’t recommend as a newcomer’s first Panther read. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Daredevil: Underboss

Even the greatest of enemies have lies they do not dare to cross. Daredevil and Kingpin have been arch-enemies for years, taking everything from each other. Murdock will not kill. Stricken blind, Wilson Fisk will not anyone kill his greatest adversary, although he knows the devil of Hell’s Kitchen is none other than a blind lawyer by day. When a mutant named Nitro tries killing Matt Murdock directly in broad daylight, he’s led down a twisting path as he believes Kingpin put the hit on him. But Fisk is just as surprised as Daredevil…then Fisk is seemingly murdered by a betrayer in cold blood as an underboss yearns to bring the criminal element to the good old days before one man ruled it all and there weren’t supers running around. Can Daredevil survive the onslaught and solve the mystery of who wants him dead and more importantly, who knows his secret identity?

Honestly, I love Daredevil even as far back as his arc on spiderman animated series but I’ve never read a comic until recently. Damn was I missing out. This is a Marvel Knights story much like Inhumans and Doctor Strange: The Flight of Bones so it’s gritty and adult-rated, which fits the Man without Fear perfectly. Bendis told a really good story that kept me gripped as much as the gorgeous artwork. The book is paced really well and doesn’t require much pre-knowledge to dive in which I appreciate. The story wraps up pretty nicely and I was genuinely interested in where it was going. In the end, I highly recommend looking up this underrated gem if you wanted to get into Daredevil like I did but didn’t know where. May the gaming gods bring you glory.