Watching anyone “talk shop” and really get into a meaty conversations about their passions, their art, and their process is fascinating to me. Doubly so if it’s someone I find interesting to begin with, and Joss Whedon definitely falls into that category. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Whedon is committed to …
Sam Wilson Captain America #7 doesn’t do much with its title character, but there is a great moment where Steve admits that he respects and trusts Sam despite having differences over what he should do as Captain America as Crossbones beats him up. It’s mostly Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna’s tribute to the character of Steve Rogers while simultaneously a game changing moment in the “Avengers Standoff” crossover, but a few confusing moments aside, it’s worth picking up to see Steve Rogers written well and heroically even if you haven’t kept up with the “Standoff” storyline. And this exploration of Captain America’s qualities of courage, standing up for the little guy, and genuine care for the friends he made over the years extends to the backup stories of which the Whedon/Cassaday one is the highlight as they lay out the heart and soul of the character in nine fluid pages.
“Objects in Space”, the last episode (but not the last episode aired) of Firefly’s first and only season, more or less ends right back where the show started way back in “Serenity”, only by the end of this episode River and Simon are finally, firmly, part of the crew family as well.
Usually, new series repeat much of the action and details from their pilots in their second episode, to make sure anybody that missed the first go of things has a full understanding of the characters and relevant plot lines established in the initial installment.
You don’t judge a book by its cover and you don’t judge a movie by just its costumes. It is hard to stay away from constant teasers and the “first looks” that dominate the internet nowadays. In an era where superhero movies reign supreme in Hollywood, everyone is grasping for that first speck of knowledge …
Avengers: Age of Ultron represents the zenith of Marvel Studios’ Phase 2, the culmination of all the films and television shows that represent the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the last two years. Like the first film, this superhero team up pulls out all the stops to astound, taking the audience on a thrill ride of almost unrelenting action.
The Avengers clicked with both Marvel fans and general audiences because we loved watching these massive egos clash for the first time. It was the perfect blend of action and attitude, and its mastermind, Joss Whedon, was handed the golden ticket to Marvel’s keystone franchise. The long-awaited sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, shows the strain of trying to be bigger-and-better while still indulging the subtle pleasures of its predecessor. It succeeds, just barely, on the strength of a talented cast and our fondness for these characters. Still, it’s a decidedly somber affair that will turn off casual fans, and it stands as the most impersonal, and arguable weakest installment of Marvel’s vaunted “Phase Two.”
Astonishing X-Men “Gifted” is one of those storylines that will make long term X-Men fans purr with delight beginning the Claremont era flashbacks in issue one. (Cassaday mimics Byrne’s art quite well.) It also can turn fans (like me five years ago) of the films and cartoons into mutie and comics junkies. Whedon pays homage to older X-Men stories without getting mired in continuity and quickly places his own stamp on the franchise by creating a new alien foe for them (Ord of the Breakworld), exploring the mutant as outsider metaphor with the cure of the X-gene, giving SHIELD a new branch (SWORD), and also bringing a beloved character back from the dead (Colossus) in a touching, visceral way that serves the long term storyline. However, the best part of Astonishing X-Men “Gifted” other than John Cassaday’s detailed, cinematically composed art and Whedon’s insanely quotable dialogue is the character arcs for each X-Man nestled in the bigger plot.
This week, Variety reported on a study that was released confirming what many already know about the film industry, or at the very least anecdotally: Women are having an increasingly hard time breaking in. The study showed that there’s a large gender gap between independently financed and directed projects by women when compared to projects …
While the film won’t make its debut until May 1 (in the United States), some critics in Los Angeles recently had Avengers: Age of Ultron screened for them and they shared their quick thoughts via Twitter and so far the response is very positive. Mike Ryan, Uproxx Just saw AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. Soooooooo many …
Could the man that cemented Marvel as a powerhouse in movies really be leaving? It seems likely after his second feature with the company, Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters this spring. Joss Whedon spoke with Buzzfeed on Friday to clarify comments he made earlier about the end of his time at Marvel and whether …
Angel & Faith: Season 10 #2-3 Written by Victor Gischler Art by Will Conrad. Colours by Michelle Madsen. Covers by Scott Fischer, and Variant Covers by Chris Samnee and Jordie Bellaire Published by Dark Horse Comics Three issues into the new season of Angel & Faith and it is becoming apparent that the title of …
Serenity Leaves on the Wind #6 Written by Zack Whedon Pencilled by Georges Jeanty Inked by Karl Story Colors by Laura Martin Published by Dark Horse Comics For lack of a better term, Serenity #6 is a comfort food for a Firefly fan. It is full of snarky dialogue, a pack of underdogs saving the day once again, aerial maneuvers, …
“New Rules: Part Two” picks up immediately after the previous issue left off, in the middle of a daytime brawl between Buffy and her Scoobies, and a gang of vampires who are mysteriously immune to sunlight, and who can shapeshift into ravenous animals. A daytime vampire battle is unlike anything we’ve seen in this series before, its universe in the midst of establishing a new status quo. When Buffy and Giles look through the “Vampyr” book, they notice a mostly blank book, but also new pages springing forth with new information. The rules of the vampires are currently being rewritten, and as long as there are blank pages, there are sure to be more surprises to come in regards to their abilities.
“Angel & Faith: Season 10” #1 Written by Victor Gischler Art by Will Conrad Colours by Michelle Madsen Executive Produced by Joss Whedon Published by Dark Horse Immediately upon opening this book, it’s clear this is a Buffyverse comic unlike any we’ve seen in some time. Aesthetically, the debut issue of Angel & Faith‘s second …
Joss Whedon’s film In Your Eyes quietly premiered yesterday at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival in a surprise move from the increasingly famous writer-director. Written and executive-produced by Whedon, it is a timeless boy-meets-girl story, wrapped in a supernatural world. On the East Coast, Rebecca (Zoe Kazan) is living a lonely life as wife married to doctor (Mark …
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #1 Written by Christos Gage Art by Rebekah Isaacs Colours by Dan Jackson Executive Produced by Joss Whedon Published by Dark Horse Comics Rejoice, rejoice we are about to experience the finest Buffy season in comics to date? Well, perhaps such a declaration is too premature. Season 8 and …
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #1-25 (2011-2013) Written by Joss Whedon (#1), Andrew Chambliss (#2-13, 16-25), Scott Allie (#8-10), Jane Espenson (#14), Drew Z. Greenberg (#15) Pencils by Georges Jeanty (#1-4, 6-7, 11-13, 16-19, 20-25), Karl Moline (#5, 14-15, 20), Cliff Richards (#8-10), Ben Dewey (#15) Coloured by Michelle Madsen (#1-25) Inking by Dexter …
Serenity Leaves on the Wind #2 Written by Zack Whedon Pencilled by Georges Jeanty Inked by Karl Story Colors by Laura Martin Published by Dark Horse Comics The Serenity Leaves on the Wind miniseries isn’t new reader friendly, but it is a great place for fans of the Firefly TV series and Serenity film to reconnect with their favorite characters and …
Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1 (of 6) Written by Zack Whedon Pencils by Georges Jeanty Inks by Karl Story Colours by Laura Martin Letters by Michael Heisler Based on the Television Series Created by Joss Whedon Published by Dark Horse Comics There are only two known truths in the entire universe: 1, that a …
The most consistently frustrating thing about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is its absolute refusal to be anything other than a vanilla, middle-of-the-road piece of disposable entertainment. It’s not a show that’s necessarily terrible enough to hate (although some will try) and it’s not anywhere near good enough to like it. The most common response to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has to be a shrug of the shoulders and moving on from there. There’s nothing particularly memorable about anything that it has to work with. Here’s a question for the ages: if this show didn’t have the association with the Marvel universe, would people even be tuning in to watch it? You can ponder that amongst yourselves.
When you go back and watch Marvel’s “Phase One” films (Iron Man to The Avengers), these are all films that excel in being particularly goofy and silly. That’s just Marvel’s schtick. They’re good at it. Their golden boy, Joss Whedon, has always had a talent for the same thing. A Whedon film or TV show can be picked out of a line up for that very reason. There’s simply a certain feel to his (and Marvel’s) work. It’s only logical that the jump from movies to TV on Marvel’s part would mirror that same aspect. What doesn’t work for Marvel, however, is the melodrama created by Skye’s (Chloe Bennet) character.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1, episode 1: “Pilot” Directed by Joss Whedon Written by Joss Whedon & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen Original air date: September 24, 2013 Airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on ABC With the massive success of the Marvel movies, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives with a guaranteed victory. Since the series is …