Fantastic Four

I went to watch this movie despite the torrent of horrible reviews given by almost everyone. I only know one person out of thousands who stated it was okay. I understood that much of the source material was going to come from the Ultimate Fantastic Four series, and being a fan of the Ultimate universe, I wanted to give it a shot.

One thing I enjoyed about the Ultimate Fantastic Four is that it made the entire team relevant. In Earth 616 Fantastic Four, Reed Richards is the brain and Ben Grimm is comic relief. In Ultimate Fantastic Four, Richards, Susan and Johnny Storm are all geniuses. All of them are significant when it comes to putting things together. I felt that Earth 616 Fantastic Four, at that time, was stale so the Ultimate story line did it for me (Jonathan Hickman's run was probably the best Fantastic Four written since John Byrne's 80's run).

This reboot of the Fantastic Four did the same thing. Susan Storm wasn't the damsel in distress who had no clue about what Richards talked about. In this version, Susan Storm and Richards have much in common. To be honest, the best part about this movie is the dialogue. I think that part of the problem is that people expected a huge battle just like in the Avengers. While this movie wasn't great and you could wait for it to show up on DVD, it didn't entirely suck.

First, we have to admit that Avengers is a game changing movie. It set a huge standard for super hero movies. If its not an epic battle, audiences will fall asleep. We also have to remember that Avengers had a nice build up with the movies of the individual members of the team. So dialogue didn't have to drive the movie. Second, this is the Fantastic Four. They are considered the first super hero family (after Captain Marvel and his Marvel crew). So what made the comic book so good for so long is that dynamic. This is something difficult to convey in a superhero movie.

I still think the dialogue between the members was well written. We got to learn about everyone and why they were scientists. Ben Grimm could have used more writing but I see how they wanted to treat him like the outcast of the group. This was a RetCon move by John Byrne in the late eighties where the other three members saw Grimm as something no one wanted around. We also see the guilt Richards has for getting him into the mess that created The Thing.

I did enjoy the fact that they moved the story a year later and allowed everyone to learn how to use their powers. I know these is a minute detail but it's crucial. They should not be able to fully utilize their powers as soon as they woke up. I think the way they got their powers also made sense. I especially loved how they developed Susan Storm's powers.

Franklin Storm was another thing I enjoyed. Here is a person who sees that children are key to our future. He created a crew of young people who would make scientific breakthroughs that would change the world. He saw them as children that he had to take care of and he adopted a few of them. He even called Richards and Doom “sons.” Reg Cathey did a good job as Papa Storm.

My biggest gripe was how they created Dr. Doom. I enjoyed the tension between him and Richards but his motivation to become evil was lackluster. It didn't sell me. Dr. Doom is my favorite villain because of his arrogance and this guy was far from it. I mean Dr. Doom throwing up a middle finger? Who wrote this? He was pretty much the Beyonder with his power set.

Overall, the movie felt like a rough draft. After the battle with Dr. Doom, I thought there were more scenes but it seemed to be over very fast. There was one huge plot hole that really frustrated me. Parts of the movie worked and parts of it didn't seem right. Again the movie wasn't great but not something you have to watch. 

Secret Wars 2015: The view so far 

(all images from Marvel.Com)

Omi's Note: Usually I don't post spoiler alerts. If you read about comic books on line, there are spoilers galore. Quite honesty, I come to expect spoilers. However, I do feel that in this case I should warn the reader. I will give many spoilers but if you haven't be reading Marvel Comics in say, the last 30 years, you won't get half this stuff anyway.

I would be the first to admit that with the Incursion Events in Marvel under Jonathan Hickman, I was hoping that the heroes of Earth 616, in particular the Illuminati, would figure it out and save the universe. I really did. Even when every Avenger title demonstrated that nothing they could do or anyone in another reality could fix it. Most of the solutions were temporary and involved destroying an entire universe. So not only were those solutions difficult, they were ethically immoral. When the rumor mill began to spin the story of the destruction of the Marvel multiverses, I was really mad about this. I could understand if Marvel got rid of a few of these multiverses. Sometimes, writing stories that include characters from these alternate universes can be confusing.

I believed that this new Secret Wars storyline would be the dumbest thing ever. I have never been wrong (and I have been eating crow with every release of the series). I just put down issue # 4 as of July 30^th. I have to mention that the stories based on this new Secret Wars “crossover” are very good. I mean some are awesome. Half way in, I will say Marvel has hit it out the park.

Upsides:

I enjoy the fact that the Marvel editorial team picked up on Dr. Doom's long term goals from the original Secret Wars. If you recall, at that point Dr. Doom was able to steal away the Beyonder's power. Since that time, Doom continued to believe that only he could retain that much power and rule the universe. While he continued to be a nuisance to the Marvel universe, all of his schemes were not the endgame. We finally see Dr. Doom see an opportunity to find that endgame and sit himself on the throne of the known universe.

Despite it's complexity, Battleworld is amazing. Again, the Marvel creative team took it's cues from the original story line where the Beyonder took pieces of different universes and put them all on one planet. It's understandable why Dr. Doom did it this way. Every piece of Battleworld with the exception of a handful, are ruled by Barons put in place by Dr. Doom. It seems like Dr. Doom thought this was a good idea to create Battleworld in this order to keep the population in check. All of the barons seem to have rebellions in all of their fiefdoms and are too busy fighting them off to unite against Dr. Doom. Some of the Barons include Apocalypse, Maestro, Mr. Sinister, and Hyperion to name a few. These barons are powerful enough in their own right but together could probably stand a chance to defeat Doom if they united but they remain too busy dealing with their own squabbles. Hickman has even figured out how to put in the Marvel Zombies universe into the story without it being corny. It's a place where Doom banishes all of the rebels throughout Battleworld.

The Thor Corps is really what keeps me ready to read each chapter. Here we have a corps of police enforcers who unquestionably follow Doom and wield hammers that are similar to that of the original Thor from Earth 616. All of the Thors come from different parts of Battleworld. Doom did this so that he didn't have to do any of the work himself. He can just send a squad of Thors to do it for him.

I never been a huge fan of Dr. Strange. All that magic stuff doesn't do it for me. However in this instance, Hickman writes him well. Dr. Strange is the only other person besides Doom who remembers how the universe was before the Incursions. Everyone else believes that Battleworld is something that has always existed. We learn in issue 3 that Dr. Strange had the opportunity to received the power of the Beyonders but refused and accepted the idea that Doom could wield that power better than he could. This part of the story is very, very interesting.

Esad Ribic's breakdowns have always been fascinating. I think this story really allows him to push the boundaries of his creativity. Even if the writing was boring, I would still collect the issues because of his pencils.

The Bad

While Battleworld is like a buffet, there is just too much stuff out there. While some of the heroes we know and love from the Marvel multiverse are rehashed and remixed in clever ways and there is something for everybody, it is just too much to digest. Pretty much in a span of a few weeks, Marvel has launched several new titles. With some good there is bound to be some bad. Planet Hulk is not actually Planet Hulk. Star Lord and Kitty Pride is over the top. Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies is lackluster. I can go on and on.

Many of the stories are great, but we know in the end, Marvel is not going to continue them. There is a Thors title with the Thor Corps. We all know that's not going to last. Civil War and Old Man Logan? Outta here. So why tease us like this, Marvel? I mean we know why, but we want to hear you guys and gals say it.

Most, if not all, of the crossover titles have no bearing on the actual storyline. Sure The Thors series gives the reader insight on how the Thor Corps functions and demonstrates how the idea that the Battleworld has always been there, none of what the characters a reader might end up enjoying will affect the overall series. This has been a problem with previous crossovers. In a way, if you want to save money this works but if the reader becomes invested in characters that will be discarded anyway, what is the use?

Some of the stories are rehashed but are not like their namesakes. The best example is Planet Hulk. Another on is the Infinity Gauntlet. While I enjoy the story of the Infinity Gauntlet, I did expect a series that dealt with several heroes and villains like the original story. This might be difficult to do, but if Thanos is central to the Secret Wars storyline, things might get a bit confusing.

Overall, I think the series is worth it. Purchasing the crossover titles is not necessary. I am sure that most of the stories will be memorable and will allow other artists and writers to get a little shine. I do look forward to the conclusion of the story since Hickman continues to ask more questions as it progresses.   

DoomWar Issues 2 thru 6

Written by Jonathan Maberry
Penciled by Scott Eaton
Inks by Andy Lanning & Robert Campanella

Book Review by Dan Tres OMi

And the plot thickened. In Issue #2, the X-Men jump in to save Ororo. By Issue #3, the Desturi are defeated as Shuri kills off their leaders. Despite their efforts, Doom steals all of the Vibranium from Wakanda. One would ask, how? Well, the Panther God deems the good doctor worthy. While we may all think that Doom just wants to destroy the world, we find that this is not the case. Instead, Doom wants to make the world stronger to prevent it from collapsing due to conflicts between several nations. The Panther God as well as Doom, see him as the only one to pull it off. This part of the story alone makes for interesting debate.

Although Shuri and T'Challa regain control over Wakanda, they have no army but must wage a war against Doom and his Doombots. Doom is supported by none other than Walter Declun who was once CEO of Damage Control. Together they build huge armies of robots to safeguard the several deposits of vibranium throughout the world.

T'Challa enlists the Fantastic Four and later the War Machine to accompany the Dora Milaje to take out those Doombots. Doom, the ultimate chess master, outwits T'Challa everytime. That is when T'Challa realizes that the only way he can beat Doom is by unconventional means. He sends Deadpool to assassinate Doom. He also gets his tech geeks to hack into Declun's network and deplete Doom's funds. Then he creates a new mixture of Dark Alchemy and Quantum Physics called Shadow Physics (very interesting indeed).

By Issue #4, the reader will see so much happen very quickly. Issue #5 continues more of a build up. The long awaited issue #6 leaves much to be desired. Marvel should have added another issue since Maberry doesn't tie it all up. For example, the X Men are there and then they aren't. War Machine shows up and no explanation is given as to why. Shadow Physics, while it's the trump card, is only discussed in one issue. It sounds like I am nitpicking but many loose ends don't get resolved. In Issue #4, the artwork gets very sloppy. Very sloppy. One starts to wonder if Marvel changed the penciler and inker without telling us.

Overall, the story was very good. The resolution could have been better. We don't see Doom and T'Challa debate about the future of the world as foreseen by the Panther God. What I love the most is that this series ushers in a new age for Wakanda. Hopefully it is the beginning of a new golden age for the African nation. I also hope that Shuri remains the Black Panther and Marvel brings back Hudlin. This skinny Afro Latino kid can dream right?

Doomwar Part One

Written by Jonathan Maberry
Penciled by Scot Eaton
Inks by Andy Lanning & Robert Campanella
Review by Dan Tres OMi

When I first saw the promo for this limited series, I was hesitant to pick it up. Now I think Dr. Doom is one of the best villains out there. I dislike the Fantastic Four movie franchise and felt that Hollywood did a horrible rendition of Dr. Doom. Dr. Doom is vastly powerful and I find that most writers haven't explored Doom's personality or genius. Since Reginald Hudlin began writing and reworking Black Panther/T'Challa, he has introduced Dr. Doom as a rival. I really liked this. Two monarchs of two advanced nations squaring off on a grand chess board. Sometimes, T'Challa and Doom are allies and sometimes they aren't. Well, Doom has finally made his final move and has behind the dethroning of T'Challa and his sister Shurri. To top it off, Ororo, T'Challa's wife and X-Man has been captured by Doom's minions, the Desturi.

T'Challa and Shurri flee Wakanda leaving Ororo/Storm to fend for herself. With no allies and the entire world community believing allegations of human rights violations committed by T'Challa ans his family, the monarchs find refuge with the X-Men. Cyclops however, realizes that his hands are tied since Utopia Nation X is a new nation with few allies and very few nations that recognize it's sovereignty.

The story so far is wonderful. T'Challa knows that a full all out war will kill a great number of his people so he has to pay Doom's game for the time being. Meanwhile his sister, refuses to wear the kid gloves and wants to return Wakanda to it's rightful owners by any means necessary. The X Men are wary of T'Challa since he so readily abandoned his wife. It will be interesting to see who else who take sides and lend a hand.

This is a story I have been waiting and hoping on. I hope that we see the Wakandans take the war to Latveria since Doom rules that country like an Iron Fist. If not, it would be great to see another political realignment with several groups within the Marvel Universe.