Random Thoughts On... Ultimate Spider-Man Post-Bagley through Ultimatum

I’ve been looking at the blog lately, and I just realized that it’s been along time since I’ve talked about any Spider-Man. Yeah, I may have mentioned him in one post or another, but 2018’s still a long time. Right now, the third MCU Spider-Man movie has been released, and… I haven’t seen it. Yeah, I’m that behind on Spider-Man these days. I still haven’t seen Far From Home, though that could be due to not caring about the Wall-Crawler these days and the fact that it ain’t on Disney Plus. I’ve heard good stuff about No Way Home, so I may see it… someday.

Today, I thought I would return to the world of the pretty defunct Ultimate Universe. A few years ago, I went through an adventure of sorts. I reviewed Ultimate Spider-Man from the beginning to Mark Bagley’s departure from the book. I can safely say that it was an awesome run. Last year, I finally decided to see what the rest of the first run of Ultimate Spider-Man looked like. I started the Bendis/Immonen run and pretty much got to Ultimatum, the event that changed the Ultimate Universe for more ill than good. I actually skipped ahead and read more after that event like Hickman’s Ultimate Avengers.

Today, I’ll just be listing my thoughts on this run of issues. The issues will be Ultimate Spider-Man #112-133, Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #3, and Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem. Of course, Brian Michael Bendis is the writer of all of these issues. While Stuart Immonen started his run on the book in #111, he ends up doing his first full issue with #112. Immonen’s been all over the place working on characters like Superman, the X-Men, and many others. Wade von Grawbadger joins the crew as the inker for the book. Grawbadger was one of Immonen’s usual inkers and stays on the book during his duration. The Annual was drawn and inked by David LaFuente, the artist that took over after Ultimatum. Mark Bagley returns to draw some pages in the Requiem mini.

Movie Talk - Avengers: Endgame

Well, we’re right on the eve of a new year. Before the year ends, I want to get back to the superhero genre for a minute. I finally re-watched Avengers: Endgame yesterday. I needed something to be playing while I was doing some work in quarantine, and it was time to revisit it. I’ve been kinda mum on Marvel this year here, so why not end it with the conclusion to Infinity War?

Avengers: Endgame was released during April of 2019. It was the long-awaited sequel to Avengers: Infinity War where Thanos basically wrecked the universe. I saw it solo since I knew Liz wasn’t going to sit through 3 hours at a movie theatre. Thankfully, I wasn’t there alone since pretty much everyone was out to see this movie. The theatre was pack to the teeth, and I almost didn’t find a seat. Since I knew that the movies were loosely following the comics, I didn’t know what to expect, but I did end up seeing a couple of spoilers online.

Movie Talk - Avengers: Infinity War

Well, we’re on the precipice of a big event… the release of Ma starring Olivia Spencer. I don’t know where this movie’s gonna go but—oh yeah, there’s that independent movie featuring the Avengers and Grimace’s evil cousin, Thanos, being released on April 26th. That’s the one I might not be able to see that day because I haven’t gotten my ticket yet. I don’t think Liz would even  be into a possibly 3-hour movie either. Anyway, we’re definitely in the endgame now. Before I get there, I wanted to look at the other Marvel movies I haven’t talked about here. So, it’s Avengers: Infinity War for this post. The other two will get their own post.

 I saw Infinity War last year when it was released at Pulaski’s theatre. I also recently re-watched it on Netflix. I did plan on talking about it last year, but I never got the chance to. It’s pretty much what the MCU has been building up to over the last 6 years. Here, Thanos and his Black Order start to form the Infinity Gauntlet, a device made up of six powerful stones. When put together, the wearer has the ability to rewrite reality. Since this is a major threat to the whole universe, the Avengers aren’t the only heroes on deck for this one. We got Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Black Panther, and Spider-Man to thwart this threat. Would it be enough to stop Thanos and his reign of terror? Well, since Avengers: Endgame is about to be released, you can kind of guess that unfortunate answer.

Random Thoughts On... Marvel's Secret Invasion

If you thought I was done with Not-so-Secret Invasion, guess again! It’s time to see if this event was worth taking up 8 months of real time. I guess I’ll start at the usual place: the beginning. Hopefully, this all makes some sense to the layman.

In the Beginning…

Secret Invasion as a concept was created by the event’s writer, Brian Michael Bendis. At this point, he had been the main event person for Marvel. He had stuff like Avengers Disassembled, Secret War, and House of M under his belt. He also revamped the Avengers into the New Avengers. He even had a small hand in Civil War.  This was when I really came into current comics stuff. I didn’t get much but I paid attention online. Marvel’s Message Boards (and DC’s too) were a help in that regard. That was how I kept up with Civil War and quite a few other books.

Talk about a shock for everyone.

Tales From The Trades! - Iron Man: Armor Wars

I know I've said this, but I think Iron Man’s an alright character. Even with the Iron Man movies out there, I just don’t feel drawn to the character of Tony Stark. I even got one of his most important storylines ("Demon in A Bottle") on the shelf and I still haven’t read it yet. Maybe I’ll finally crack it open after this month’s over. Even though I haven’t been the biggest fan of Stark, I thought Matt Fraction’s run (the parts I read anyway) were pretty good. I’ve even liked his moments in certain Marvel events. Plus, there’s that Robert Downey Jr. dude who’s making the waves. Then, there’s this story.

Iron Man: Armor Wars contains Iron Man #225-232. The actual storyline is called “Stark Wars,” but I guess “Armor Wars” just stuck out or something. I found this at McKay’s  years ago and thought I’d finally check it out. David Michelinie and Bob Layton handled the story. Both of these writers had done a lot with Iron Man during the 70’s and 80’s. M.D. Bright handled the breakdowns while Layton handled the finishes in the main story. Barry Winsdor-Smith handles the art for #332. So, what does happen when Tony Stark finds out IM tech has been pilfered? He becomes a bit of a douchebag as usual.

Iron Man: Armor Wars

Writers: David Michelinie and Bob Layton

Pencils: M.D. Bright and Barry Winsdor-Smith (#232)

Inks: Bob Layton

Colors: Bob Sharen, Nel Yomtov, and Barry Winsdor-Smith (#232)

Letters: Janice Chang and Bill Oakley (#232)

Editor: Mark Gruenwald

Movie Talk - Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Doctor Strange

Since Avengers: Infinity War is finally hitting theaters in April (I’m glad they moved it up so I can use that weekend for other things), it’s finally time to look at the other movies in the MCU. Right before Avengers: Age of Ultron was released, I pretty much went through every MCU movie released at that time. While I’ve given a little opinion on these movies in other posts, it’s time to revisit some of them. I was trying to get this out but one, "little" movie kept holding me up.

Since I got seven movies (Infinity War will be its own post), I’m splitting this up. Today, it’s Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Doctor Strange. I pretty much saw all of these movies in theaters. I was able to re-watch Civil War and Dr. Strange on Netflix somewhat recently. As for Ant Man, I had to look for that elsewhere.

Favorites - 16 Characters Who Were Recast in Movies/TV

TV and movies can be a bit weird especially when they are serialized. One thing that is definitely a head-turner is when an actor replaces another actor in the same role. The thing that got me on this path was thinking about Harriett Winslow from Family Matters. I vividly remember Judyann Elder replacing the role that Jo Marie Payton had played for almost a decade. That’s just one I've noticed and I thought it was weird. I also saw it a lot on other shows too. Movies even go through this.

The reasons for actors replacing other actors can vary.  Some die during the role. Others get fired or just decide to quit. It can happen at the beginning, during production, or well on into the lifespan of the series. So, here are 16 characters who were recast for a show or movie series. I’ll even throw a game in this too. Hopefully, I can fit all that into a nice title for this post. I’ll only be doing shows and movies I’ve seen, so I’m sorry if I’m leaving your favorite one out. It’s also not in any order as well.

1. Vivian Banks (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) 

This is probably one of the most known recasts. Janet Hubert played Vivian on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for three years. From what I heard and read, she and Will Smith didn’t get along. She supposedly violated her contract (she was pregnant at the time) and got ousted. After that, Daphne Reid was brought in to play Vivian for the rest of the show’s run. She was actually the first Vivian I remember seeing since I didn’t watch the show until the fourth season. She even got to play the part for three years, so it sounds a little equal, you think?

As for which version I liked better, I have to go with Hubert on this one. She seemed to have more of a bite to her. She also kind of got more to do than Reid did. The episode where she decides to go back into dancing is one of her coolest moments. Reid’s Vivian seemed to be more in the background at times. Even though she didn’t much to do, I did like her and she had some good moments. Still, the first Vivian did it for me.

Favorites - 20 Best Casting Decisions in Comic Book Movies

Now that I’ve gotten through with the disappointments, I can now look at the good casting decisions. Thankfully, there have been more good ones than bad. You’ll have some actors that’ll do a fine job. They’re not bad, just average. Then you get the folk who absolutely rule in the part. They’re lauded for the role and you wonder if anyone could fill the actor' shoes. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them, so choosing ten great casting decisions in comic book movies would be a little hard. In saying that, here are my 20 best casting decisions in comic book movies. Did you really think I could stop at ten?

20. Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach (Watchmen) – While I’m not the biggest fan of the story nor movie, I thought Haley was well casted as the Question look-alike. Haley definitely brought the crazed vigilante to life in that movie. He brought out the roughness and grit with that voice of his. He was definitely one of the highlights there.

19. Kelsey Grammar as Beast (X-Men: The Last Stand) – Who do you think could really play Dr. Hank McCoy? I can’t really think of too many actors who could pull off that role. Who ever asked him to be in the movie deserves some reward. Kelsey Grammar was a bright spot in a really lackluster movie. He felt like Beast to me with the look and the dialogue. I just wish we got more of him in the movie and in general.

18. Ron Pearlman as Hellboy (The Hellboy movies) – Ron Pearlman was a nice pick for Hellboy. The guy just has a knack for playing masked characters. It’s his portrayal of Hellboy that basically pulled me into that world. I don’t follow the character much but if he is anything like Pearlman portrayed, then I may be checking some of those comics out one day.

17. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (Marvel Cinematic) – (imitating SLJ) YEAH, I SAID IT! WHAT’S WRONG WITH A BLACK NICK FURY ANYWAY? NOTHING, THAT’S WHAT, SUCKA! In all seriousness, I liked him in the role. He may not have been the quintessential version of the character, but he was good all the same. Besides, it’s Samuel L. Jackson. Who else would you get to play a cool secret agent who leads SHIELD? Don’t say David Hasselhoff!

16. Gary Oldman as Commissioner James Gordon (Nolan’s Batman trilogy) – Gary Oldman, a guy who could play just about anyone, was perfect for the role of James Gordon in Nolan’s Batman movies. Unlike past Gordons, this one actually did stuff. He and Batman really felt like a team and Oldman played that really well.

15. Elias Koteas as Casey Jones (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) – For those who don’t remember, TMNT was based on the comics. Heck, the first movie’s story was adapted from the comics. I thought and still think the casting of Koteas as Casey was pretty perfect for that movie. He was one of the best parts to the original and I really can’t see anyone else playing that part. He was cool, snarky, and a little crazy. There aren’t many vigilantes who’ll use sports equipment to teach some “JV low-lifes” a lesson. He was even a bright spot in that pit of darkness called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.

Random Thoughts On... Civil War

I'm betting this is how most folk regard Civil War.

You know, I thought I was done talking about this event. For some reason, I couldn’t let go just yet. I’ve now read a majority of the tie-ins and looked at the main series itself. I have to say that it brought up some things that I really never considered about the event. So, hold on to your butts because I have some things to say not only about the main issues but the event as a whole. Hopefully, it all comes out as coherent.

Tales From The Trades! - Civil War

I think it’s finally time to start looking at events again. After Final Crisis, talking about these things didn’t seem as cool. Besides, after reading some of Grant Morrison’s weird but nice ramblings, it’s good to take a break from these Earth-shattering events. I really haven’t talked about Marvel’s events yet. It’s not that I don’t like most of them. I’ve just really never latched on to a lot of them especially recently. It seems like they do some sort of major crossover every year now. At least DC waited two years before they did their big, major crossover, Forever Evil. Since Captain America: Civil War is being later released this year, I thought it was finally time to really delve into the event known as Civil War.

I really only kept up with the event online. I had a couple of issues of the event as well. I remember having a bit of a dislike about it after some time. I don’t know if it was online opinion or just me thinking about the event. During the year (either Christmas or my birthday), a co-worker got me a gift card for Barnes and Nobles.  I went to the one in Cool Springs one Saturday and I saw this on the shelf at a decent price. Since I really didn’t feel like spending my own money on it, I bought it. Just recently, I got curious on how the tie-ins to the event went, so I decided to get a subscription to Marvel Unlimited. I gotta say that is one good app. It’s a shame DC doesn’t have one…

Civil War was written by Mark Millar. I’ve talked about him here before since hes also known for Superman: Red Son and Ultimate X-Men. He can be alright sometimes. The penciller is Steve McNiven from that New Avengers arc that focused on the Sentry. Dexter Vines handled the inks and Morry Hollowell handled the colors. So, was my dislike justified or was I being led astray thanks to online opinion? Find out below.

Random Pics of the Month - Feburary

Wow, it has been a while since I've done one of these posts. I guess I post enough pics, so I tend to forget about this section. So, here are some pics on things I'll talk about over the coming months.

This is from a forgotten game called Jade Empire. What is it about? I'll let you know... later.

I'm past ready for this. Don't let me down, Snyder!

Yeah, I'll be talking about this event though not in detail. I'll say this, "Civil War" is definitely a talker.

Since Ben Affleck is also appearing in it, we better see something similar to this in the new Suicide Squad movie.

Don't worry Gwen. I didn't forget about Ultimate Spider-Man.

Movie Talk - The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron

Well, it’s finally time to have to talk about Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. I don’t want to get these movies mixed up with that one Avengers movie that had Uma Thurman and Sean Connery in it. I never saw that one. Also, if you’re wondering why this is in Sci-Fi Month, that answer is simple. We got aliens, evil A.I., mutants (sort of), super soldiers, a guy in a mech suit, and the Hulk. I think that answers it.

Anyway, I first saw The Avengers when it was released in theatres. I saw it with the same friend I saw the first Captain America movie with. I have seen it once since then by renting it. As for Avengers: Age of Ultron, I saw it a couple of weeks ago after church. I was getting tired of avoiding spoilers on the Internet, so I did a solo run. I was planning on going to see it again with a friend but she actually got free tickets to Mad Max: Fury Road (a really fun movie). Besides, I got enough from the first viewing to talk about it.

Movie Talk - Iron Man in the MCU

Next up on the list is Iron Man. Now, I have to admit that I’m not that much of a fan of Tony Stark. I really wasn’t that exposed to the character in my youth. I did see the animated series from the 90’s but some of that show wasn’t really good. I will say that the show’s theme in the second season rocked. Since the movies have come out, I’ve gotten around to somewhat like the character.

I actually saw Iron Man through some unconventional means (it was bootlegged and I didn’t buy the bootleg either) back in 2008. I actually got to see both sequels through the usual conventional means when they were released in 2010 and 2013, respectively. I know I’ve seen Iron Man on TV somewhere. I know I saw Iron Man 3 again in the barbershop. Since I haven’t seen the movies recently, I decided to re-watch them… through conventional means. Kids, don’t pirate.

Tales from the Library! – Invincible Iron Man Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares

Now, it’s time to show a little love to the man known as Tony Stark. I have to be honest in that Iron Man isn’t one of my favorite characters. Even though I like the movies, I’m just not a fan. Some years back, the public library in my hometown acquired Matt Fraction’s entire run on Iron Man. I decided to check out the first few volumes and did like what I read. Since Iron Man is gracing us with his presence in Avengers: Age of Ultron, I decided to re-check that first volume and see if it’s really any good.

The trade includes the first seven issues of Invincible Iron Man. At this time, Tony Stark had become the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. after the fiasco with Marvel’s Civil War which is one story I have to cover on here one day. If I remember correctly, these issues came out at the time when Secret Invasion (another event I might look at) was being released. The Five Nightmares is written by Matt Fraction. He’s done a lot of work for Marvel in the last decade. He’s even done stuff for Image as well. The artist on the book is Salvador Larroca. He’s also been in the industry for a long time.

Invincible Iron Man: The Five Nightmares

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Salvador Larroca

Colors: Frank D'Amata and Stephane Peru

Letters: Chris Eliopoulos

Editor: Alejandro Arbona and Warren Simons

Movie Talk - Marvel Animated Features Part 2: Other Heroes

In part 2 of this three-part venture, I’ll be looking at the movies from this series that are solo adventures. I’ll be looking at The Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Thor: Tales of Asgard. Iron Man's movie and Doctor Strange were both released in 2007 while the Thor movie was released in 2011. I actually bought IIM back in 2007 at Wal-Mart. I actually don’t have it now and I’ll tell you why when I get to the movie. I rented Doctor Strange from a video store when it was released. As for Tales of Asgard, this is the first time I’ve seen the movie and I’ll get to why later.

The Invincible Iron Man

This is pretty much the origin of Iron Man… sort of. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be in the continuity of the other Ultimate Avengers movies are not. It might as well be since Marc Worden is voicing Iron Man here as well. In the movie, Tony Stark and James Rhodes get taken hostage by a group of Chinese militants when they accidentally unleash a prophecy involving the Mandarin. During his captivity, Tony falls in love with Li Mei, one of the women there. He and Rhodey are able to escape with the help of a suit Tony created during their captivity. When Tony finds out that the prophecy of the Mandarin is real, he uses his resources to combat his enemies and save the day.

Movie Talk - Marvel Animated Features Part 1: The Avengers

For my first step into the world of the Avengers, I’m actually going to look at some direct-to-DVD movies that Marvel did a few years ago. Before DC got its stuff together with its animated market, Marvel started off with its own in 2006 with its release of Ultimate Avengers.  They teamed up with Lions Gate Films to put out movies at about twice a year.  All of the movies from that line are on Netflix, so you know what I’m gonna do. Instead of talking about them all in one post, I’ll spread them out according to hero. Today, it’s the Avengers.

Ultimate Avengers was released in early 2006 while its sequel, Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther, was released in the fall of 2006. The next Avengers-themed movie to come out from this venture was Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow and it was released in 2008. I bought the first movie and still own it to this day. I rented Rise of the Panther from Hollywood Video while I was in college. As for Next Avengers, I waited a long time until I just decided to see it on Netflix some months ago. Since the Ultimate Avengers movies are also on Netflix, I decided to re-watch them again. So, what do I think about them now? Find out below.