Author: ComicsJim

ComicsJim

CM Podcast 206 – Avengers Endgame Review

Avengers Infinity War Part 1 summary – Thanos had combined the Infinity Stones to make the Infinity Gauntlet and unleashed his sinister plan: wipe out half the population of the Universe.

This movie was really good.

Avengers Endgame – The movie starts out shortly after the events of Infinity War as Iron Man, Captain America and the other Avengers try to pick up the pieces of the biggest defeat they have ever encountered.

This movie was pretty good.

They try to right the wrongs that Thanos created but all their efforts lead to dead ends. Until Scott Lang AKA Ant-Man shows up with a plan so crazy it just might work!

***SPOILER ALERT!!***

Jon and I go over our thoughts on Avengers Endgame in the podcast. We don’t hold back so there are many spoilers in this review/critique of the movie. The ‘No Spoilers’ Embargo is over! We are giving everyone fair warning!

I can tell you that Jon and I both like this movie but it could have been better. We talk about plot points including a gigantic plot hole that really can’t be forgiven, but it’s not all bad though. This movie had several fun and exciting moments that make it worth recommending.

We also go over what we would have done differently to make this a better movie and what we are hoping for in future Avengers movie.

The movie is 3 hours long so we don’t cover absolutely everything that happens in this podcast. We stick to just the main story arc. There are still plenty of surprise for you in the movie.

Also, if you enjoyed this review, be sure the check out our take on Avengers Infinity War Part 1 which I am linking here:

https://comicsmisremembered.com/2018/05/05/cm-podcast-154-avengers-infinity-war/

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 206


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 205 – Detective Comics #1000 Review

Welcome back to the podcast! We have been covering comic movies that had been coming out over the last few weeks that we had to put this review on the back burner.

There is a 1 week delay before the next big comic movie (more on that next week) so this week we review a landmark comic event – the publication of the 2nd comic to hit 1000 issues!! The comic that gave DC it’s name – Detective Comics had it’s #1000 issue published a few weeks ago and we go over it in this week’s podcast.

Here are a few of the many variant covers. Starting in the upper left corner going clockwise: Alex Ross, Paul Dini, Frank Miller and Brian Bolland.

Similar to Action Comics #1000, the comic is a celebration of Batman and his extended family. The oversized comic has multiple stories by Batman writers past and present like Scott Snyder, Tom King, Dennis O’Neil, Warren Ellis, current scribe Peter Tomasi and more! We review some of our favorite stories from this issue.

This is also a great jumping on point for any new readers that have never read a Batman story before. The stories review Bruce Wayne/Batman’s past and his relationship with the Bat Family and villains. The comic ends with the introduction of a brand new villain, The Arkham Knight.

We highly recommend you pick this up.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 205


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 204 – Hellboy Movie (2019) Review

If a comic book related movie comes out in the theater, we are sworn as Comic Book Podcasters to go see it and let you know if it’s any good.

We saw Hellboy (The 2019 Soft Reboot) last weekend and it was not good. It was not bad, it just was not good.

It was an “okay” movie. Just like Justice League was just okay. Overall, the actors did a great job with the material but there was just way too much material to get through in this movie. Look at the poster above. You see how there are about 20 characters in it? That is about a 1/3 of all the characters that were introduced in this movie!

Way too much backstory and exposition and not enough characterization. This is just one of the many points we make on how this movie could be better.

Was it David Harbour‘s fault? Does Hellboy need Ron Perlman back to work?

No. In fact, I really like Harbour’s portrayal of Hellboy. He differentiated himself from Ron Perlman and left his own stamp on Hellboy. He looked like Hellboy and acted like him.

I would put most of the blame about this movie on the script and it’s direction. Jon and I talk about what could have been different to trim the story and characters down to make this a more enjoyable movie.

If you are a fan of the comic, you won’t be disappointed – ironically enough. It is very true to the source material. In fact, it is too close to the source material and this is why it gets bogged down. You need a scorecard to tell who is a villain and who is the hero.

There are some spoilers in the podcast but we don’t reveal major plot points so you can listen to it and then watch it later to see what we are talking about. Just wait until you can watch it on the movie channels.

Your comics pal,
Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 204

ComicsJim

CM Podcast 203 – Shazam! Movie Review

Jon and I went and saw Shazam! last week and we both enjoyed the movie. The commercials and trailers portrayed this movie as a more light-hearted movie than any of the previous DC Universe movies. This movie does not take itself too seriously and nor should it given the characters and premise.

For those unfamiliar with Shazam!, the story focuses on a teenage boy named William “Billy” Batson that turns into an adult superhero by shouting the word “SHAZAM!” Just imagine it as the movie Big but with super powers and you get an idea on the high jinks that happen.

The director David Sandberg does a great job of taking an obscure hero from the DC Universe and making him relatable so that super hero fans and those that are not would enjoy this movie. This movie has laughs and heart and you may even get a little teary eyed by the end.

Jon and I also like the fact that the movie keeps the original Whiz comics costume and doesn’t try to modernize it like the previous film…

Original look of Shazam. Art by Alex Ross.

As you can see, the movie is very close to the original character’s design.

We both liked the characters (heroes and villains) and overall story of this movie and we hope it does very well so that we get a sequel. Listen to the podcast for our review. We also give a quick Comic History review on why we call this character Shazam! and not Captain Marvel.

I am including the link to our review of Marvel Man here:

https://comicsmisremembered.com/2016/10/08/cm-podcast-72-miraclemanmarvelman/

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 203


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 202 – The Walking Dead Mid Season 9 Finale and Review

Mid Season 9 of the Walking Dead was one of the more impactful seasons for Jon and myself. We are introduced to a new danger in the world named The Whisperers who are lead by the demented Alpha. We learn why Michonne is wary of strangers and how she go her scar. We learn about Lydia, the daughter of Alpha and find out if she will be friend or foe to the new alliance of Alexandria, Hilltop and The Kingdom. And the final question is answered: Can we start to trust Negan?

I ask Jon some question about the show like: What does he think about Alpha, Beta and The Whisperers? Jon goes into an eloquent discussion about the new characters and how he feels they came to exist and how dangerous they can be to everyone.

We talk about some other plot points that happened through the season and the shocking event that happened in the penultimate episode. Jon and I talk about who was lost and how impactful it will be in the show and it’s characters.

We then end the podcast with a review of spoilers that I gave in Podcast 195 and how accurate the comic is compared to the show. It is still a very accurate guide on the events that unfolded.

Here is a direct link to Podcast 195 if you would like to hear the original predictions : https://comicsmisremembered.com/2019/02/17/cm-podcast-195-the-walking-dead-season-9-mid-season-premier/

We both are very anxious about Season 10.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 202

ComicsJim

CM Podcast 201 – New Comic Review

We haven’t done a new comic review in a while and some great comics have come out recently so we wanted to go over 4 that we think you should be reading.

The review rundown is like this:

Review #1 – by Jon

The Wonder Twins #1 and #2

Written by Mark Russell

Art by Stephen Byrne

Published by DC under the Wonder Comics Imprint.

Review # 2 – By Jim

Dial H for Hero #1

Written by Sam Humphries

Art by Joe Quinones

Published by DC under the Wonder Comics Imprint

Review # 3 – By Jon

The Dreaming #1 – 4

Written by Simon Spurrier

Art by Bilquis Evely

Published by DC under the Vertigo Imprint

Review # 4 – by Jim

Little Bird #1

Written by Darcy Van Poelgeest

Art by Ian Beltram

Published by Image Comics

We highly recommend that you purchase all 4 of these titles. Listen to the podcast for details as to why they are worth adding to your pull list.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 201


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 200 – Kyle Baker’s King David

Look everybody! We make it to 200 podcasts! How the heck did that happen?! Jon and I would like to thank everyone that listens to the podcast – those that download it on Apple and Google and the rest that come straight to the website and stream it. We greatly appreciate your support.

What are we talking about today? A religious comic! Wait! Come back!! Don’t leave. It’s good. I swear to God…or whatever deity, supernatural and/or comic powered being that you worship. It is a fantastic story. It’s…

Kyle Baker’s KING DAVID

I am a fan of Kyle Baker and try to pick up any comic project that he puts out. This was a graphic novel that was published by DC/Vertigo back in 2003. I saw the cover and immediately bought.

Now, you may not be a Christian (Hell, you may not even be religious!) and you are probably asking “Why do I want to read a parable from the Bible?”

Well, my erudite friend, let me give you a couple of reasons:

Reason 1: The art…

This is a small sample of the contents of the comic. Each page looks like an animation cell. It is a visually stunning story.

Reason 2: The humor written into the story. Instead of doing a straight translation like R. Crumb did with the Book Of Genesis. Kyle Baker tells the story of David but modernizes the dialogue between characters to tell a humorous narrative.

Did I sell you on the book yet? No? Then you must listen to the podcast. Jon and I will give you a myriad of more reasons why you need to read this Bible story.

Also, here is a direct link to the R. Crumb Book of Genesis Podcast: https://comicsmisremembered.com/2018/09/01/cm-podcast-171-book-of-genesis/

It you enjoyed this spirited discussion about David then you are going to want to listen to our takes of the Book of Genesis.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 200

ComicsJim

CM Podcast 199 – Captain Marvel Movie

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate. During this podcast I was celebrating by drinking an English beer called The Old Speckled Hen so obviously I am not celebrating it correctly. I should have bought a Guinness. But you did not come here to follow my drinking habits. You are here to listen to our podcast about the Captain Marvel Movie!!

The Captain Marvel movie is finally here! There was many weeks of controversy prior to it’s release on March 8th release. What was the controversy? Well, Jon and I talk about it very briefly at the top of the podcast and we have come to the decision that… there is no controversy. We cannot think of a single thing that would want to make a person hate this movie prior to seeing it.

We then get into a discussion about how much we liked the movie and some things that we would change to make this a better movie.

***SPOILER WARNINGS***

As always, we will be spoiling major plot points in order to have a better discussion about the story and characters. If you have not seen the movie yet, then put this podcast on hold and come back once you have seen it.

We had a excellent time talking about the movie, the characters, their motivations, the history of Captain Marvel, The Kree and The Skrulls. This movie made a killing at the box office as of this post so we know there will be future Captain Marvel movies and we look forward to the MCU expanding the Kree and Skrull history and telling some fantastic tales.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 199


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 198 – Iron Man: Crash OGN

A few weeks ago Jon and I reviewed the Marvel Original Graphic Novel (OGN) God Loves, Man Kills and that got me thinking: What other OGN do I own? It turns out – quite a lot. At least 15 of them. I pulled one from the pile and felt compelled to review it for nostalgia and oddity reasons.

This week we are talking about Iron Man: Crash OGN. It is written and drawn by Mike Saenz and it came out in December of 1987. What makes this comic (or graphic novel) so unique is that is was all drawn on a computer – a Macintosh 2 computer. It is the first computer generated graphic novel. If you are not familiar with that computer, let me put it to you this way – imagine if you had to draw 72 pages in MS Paint? How great do you think it will look? It is a product of it’s time but the art has not held up that well over time. Here are some same pages…

As you can see, the main image is greatly detailed but the background are sparse – this is due to the limitations of the tools. This was also the first time the lettering was used. Comics now use computer generated lettering as the standard.

Also, here is a sample of Tony Stark explaining to the reader how he puts on his Iron Man suit…

There are 3 PAGES OF THIS!! WHY IS THERE 3 PAGES OF THIS?!! I just don’t get the reason we needed all this detail about the armor.

The story is very vanilla and very confusing. We talk about the plot points in the podcast.

Is Iron Man: Crash a good OGN? No. Do we recommend you read it? Yes. Why? Because it is a comic time capsule. It is heavily influenced by Cyberpunk culture and we count the many Cyberpunk tropes/cliches it uses. It is a vision of the future which is now stuck in the past. It let’s you know that if you don’t learn from history, you are then doomed to repeat it.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 198


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 197 – Giantkiller with Dan Brereton

Normally on Comics Misremembered, we start the podcast off with a small piece of music and then explain how that clip of music relates to the topic of the podcast.

This week we did not get a chance to go over the music track – which is David Bowie’s Scary Monsters (Super Creeps) because we wanted to devote all our time to out very special guest – Dan Brereton!!

Dan joins the podcast this week because he wants to talk about a very excellent kickstarter project he is promoting: The 20th anniversary collection of his Giantkiller comic.

You can see the kickstarter here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nocturnals/dan-breretons-giantkiller-monster-edition-hardcove?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=dan%20brereton

Dan goes over why he is choosing to work with Kickstarter.com for this and many future projects. We also go over the history of Giantkiller – it started as a DC comic. DC offer to put his main protagonist, Jack in some of the other DC comics like JLA and Dan said “No”. Why you ask? Well, he tells all in the podcast.

Dan goes over why he is choosing to work with Kickstarter.com for this and many future projects. We also go over the history of Giantkiller – it started as a DC comic. DC offer to put his main protagonist, Jack in some of the other DC comics like JLA and Dan said “No”. Why you ask? Well, he tells all in the podcast.

We go on to talk about the future of his Giantkiller characters and I even pitch him an “original” idea for a future story.

It was a great time and we look forward to talking with Dan on his future projects.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 197


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 196 – The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer comic series, much like a rocket itself, burned fast and bright and then seemed to disappear into the cosmos never to be seen again. Why does a short lived comic from 1983 still have so many fans today?

In this week’s Podcast we are talking about the original run of the Rocketeer comic that was created by writer/artist Dave Stevens.

We start out with the convoluted printing history of the story itself – it started as a back-up story to a Pacific Comic called Starslayer and then gain popularity to be released as it’s own comic. It will go from Pacific Comics to Comico Comics to Dark Horse and eventually find it’s home at IDW Publishing. The comic only has a total of 6 chapters and then Dave Stevens stopped writing and drawing it. It would have later versions and stories by other artists but it never lived up to the popularity of the original.

Jon and I then talk about the comic and it’s fantastic artwork. Dave Stevens did a great job on this comic with the Pre-World War II aesthetic artwork and it’s snappy dialogue. There are many iconic images in the comic but the one that Jon and I remember the most was the Betty Page “shocker” scene…

From left to right: The scene was it looked in the original 1983 comic, the art from the Eclipse Special Edition of the comic and Terry Dodson’s homage to the original scene. The page that sold a thousand posters, comics, t-shirts and more.

We end the podcast talking about Dave Stevens himself, some of the real people that he used in the comic like Betty Page, Noah Dietrich, Ken Marcus and Howard Hughes.

This was a great time and fun look back on a comic that was very influential to comic creators today.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 196

ComicsJim

CM Podcast 195 – The Walking Dead Season 9 Mid-Season Premier

On Sunday 2/10/19 – AMC had the Season 9 Mid-Season Premier of The Walking Dead. There were several question that were left at the end of the Mid-Season Finale: Is Jesus really dead? Negan‘s cell door is open! Will he take revenge on Michonne and the others at Alexandria? Who are the Whisperers and what do they want? Will Henry ever get out of jail?

We learned the answer to some of these question at the end of the premiere but there are even more questions that will come as the season progresses.

Since I follow the comic, I have a good guess on what will happen with the rest of the season (and will be spoiling it at the end of the podcast). Jon does not read the comic, only watches the show so I ask him questions and see if he can guess at what will happen. Jon talks on how fans will react to Jesus’ death. What will happed with Negan and has he truly changed his ways? Are the Whisperers a major threat and if so, are they worst than Negan and the Saviors? How does he like the new recruits: Magna, Kumiko and Luke?

***MAJOR SPOILERS IN THE PODCAST!!***

After our discussion on the premiere, I will be spoiling the rest of Season 9 based on events that unfold in the comic. Do not listen if you do not want to know the fates of some major characters. Here are a couple of covers from the comic…

Some of these images have already happened – like Negan escaping. But what about the other 2 covers? What does it mean? If you are curious then listen the the whole podcast.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 195


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 194 – Reign of the Supermen Movie

1992 was a very eventful year in comics. It was the death of Superman. What will Metropolis do? Who will protect the city from the forces of evil?

4 new challengers enter the fray…

Actual comic covers from “Reign of Supermen”

The weeks that followed, readers of the Superman comics were introduced to 4 new defenders of Truth, Justice and The American Way. These 4 new heroes were (from left to right): Steel, Cyborg Superman, Superboy and Eradicator.

Fast forward to 2018, Warner Bros Animation release the Death of Superman movie and several months later, we receive the follow-up:

Reign of the Supermen Movie!

Jon and I have recently watched the movie and we go over how well the movie does to try to tell 4 origin stories and then try to introduce a major villain while giving a surprise reveal all within 90 minutes!!

Jon and I agree that overall, the movie is pretty good with its story and animation. I have some minor complaints about the origin of one of the Supermen but its not a deal breaker.

Here is a close-up of Cyborg Superman…

Is he the real Superman?

As you watch the movie, Cyborg Sups seems like he is the real deal but is he hiding a dark secret from Lois Lane and the viewers? If you listen to the podcast, you will find out.

Lastly, we do have some Spoilers regarding the plot of the movie. I don’t consider spoilers since the movie is based on a comic that came out over 25 years ago. You have been warned!

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 194


ComicsJim

CM Podcast 193 – Andre The Giant: Closer to Heaven GN

Are you a comic fan? Are you a wrestling fan? If you are both then we have a comic for you!

This week we are reviewing the Graphic Novel – Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven. It is a biography about real life wrestler: Andre the Giant.

It is written by Brandon M. Easton with Art from Denis Medri. It was published by IDW in 2015.

The GN does a great job about following Andre from his hometown roots in Paris, France all the way up to his WWF career and beyond. It is a great read with some fantastic art. Here are some examples from the GN:

This is a great read if you are a fan of wrestling because you get some insight to one of the most famous wrestlers of all time, Andre. If you are not a fan of wrestling, it is still a great read because you learn about a man who felt alone in the world due to his freakish height and turned it into a positive, life changing event. It is okay to be different.

Jon and I had a great time with this comic and we hope you get a chance to pick it up.

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 193

ComicsJim

CM Podcast 192 – New Comic Review

There are new titles coming out every month so Jon and I are taking some time in 2019 to tell you about a few of them. We will be reviewing 4 new books that came out between December 2018 – January 2019.

I do 2 reviews and Jon does 2 reviews. I thought we enjoyed all 4 books but Jon surprised me and slipped in a last minute replacement of a book he bought and did not enjoy. This week it’s 3 recommendations and a pass.

I will list the books in the order of the reviews and who is doing the review:

Review #1 – Jon (recommendation)

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 and 2

  • Writer: Tom Taylor
  • Artist: Juan Cabal
  • Publisher: Marvel

Review #2 – Jim (Recommendation)

The Warning #1 – 3

  • Writer and Artist: Edward Laroche
  • Publisher: Image Comics

Review #3 – Jon (pass)

X-Men: The Exterminated (one shot)

  • Writers: Chris Claremont, Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson
  • Artists: Neil Edwards, Ramon Rosanas
  • Publisher: Marvel

Review #4 – Jim (recommendation)

Marvel Comics Presents #1

  • Writers: Charles Soule, Greg Pak and Ann Nocenti
  • Artists: Paulo Siqueira, Tomm Coker and Frederico Blee
  • Publisher: Marvel

Please listen to the podcast to see why we recommend (and pass) on these new comics. Go to your local comic shop (or online) and check them out now!

Your comics pal,

Jim

Comics Misremembered Podcast 192