First Look At DKR's Bane's Costume

From here

Movies I've Seen: Captain America

So, I watched the new Marvel movie, Captain America, and colour me suprised, it actually turned out to be really, really good.

For those who somehow don't know, the film is based on the iconic comicbook character created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, not Stan Lee as his cameo in the movie implies, who is a regular, albeit small, guy who is given a suepr soldier serum in order to give him the chance to fight Nazis and, later, their better equipt replacements Hydra.

Going into the movie, I was at most cautiously optimistic. Chris Evans, the actor playing the main character, Steve Rogers, hadn't really filled me with confidence in his last Marvel superhero outing as the Human Torch back in the Fantastic Four movies, and I was worried we might be in for a modernised and edgy take on the character.

And, to my shock, Evans actually does a really, really good job. His Captain America manages to come across as sincere, eager to help and heroic, without becoming detached like some depictions of Superman or overly jingoistic, as was the risk in a movie like this.

Really, all of the cast in this movie do a really good job with what they're given. Hugo Weaving does his standard good turn as the villain, the Red Skull, even though he isn't really given that much to do for the most part. Hayley Atwell, as Steve's love interest British Army Major Peggy Carter (not an anachronism, suprisingly) does a good job as the main leading lady, though it was kind of bemusing that she was really ONLY main female cast member. Tommy Lee Jones stands out as Colonel Philips, on his sarcastic and hilarious best.

And these are just a few of the people in this movie.

I know that a lot of people has complained about how the shift of the main villains of the movie from the Nazis to Hydra, which is kind of explained in-movie, but I think that by about the first quarter, I think that you could safely put the movie in the alternative history segment of period dramas.

This isn't our world's version of World War Two, it's the comicbook universe's version of it. It might start with the SS and references to Hitler, but as soon as the Red Skull gets the resources to build all of the wacky weaponry that the Nazis lacked due to them not having the time, power etc. to build we go into a whole weird area.

But at the same time, the movie seems to include a lot of details about the War that seem to be left out of other movies. About how Japanese American soldiers fought in the European Theatre, for example, the aforementioned female British army majors, or the fact that the friggin' Blitz happened! Sure, some things could argueably have been changed for political correctness purposes, but they could be covered within the movie's internal logic for the most part.

For example, the team that Steve creates for secret missions includes a British paratrooper, an African American soldier, a Japanese American soldier and a Free Frenchman. This movie taking place when the army was still segregated means that two of these guys normally wouldn't be allowed to joint he group, but it being a request by Cap probably got that ugly bit of legislation bypassed.

Anyhoo, this was a fun, well put together movie, and I urge people to go and see it.

Cringeworthy Comicbook Moments!

A couple of Comicbook Moments that make you cringe, because they're disturbing, sexist and generally haven't aged well!

Firstly, Josie and the Pussycat's Melody Valentine being not just a racist, but one that makes horrible puns at the same time!

Artemis: Feminist heroine of compassioness!

Kevin Smith ruining Batman: Year One for everyone,

The team-up we've all been waiting for! RacistWolverine and Emma Frost's horribly drawn boobs!

Bomb Queen's plot to keep Obama out of her hair revealled!

Stealing Barack's sperm from a donation place he visited in college, so she robbed the place to keep him from sending superheroes after her, those who want context.

From Final Crisis, ...the Gods of Evil are gross.

Flashpoint's Zatanna costume... why does she bother even WEARING those trousers? Seriously.

Roy Harper's grief induced erection disfunction!

And finally... Every. Single. Thing. In. This. Comic.

Walking Dead Season 2 Trailer

Enjoyed the first season, and definately benefited from not following the plot of the original too closely. If they had done that it would have been so depressing that they probably would have lost most of their audience half way through the season.

Anyways, here's the trailer,

DC Announce the Introduction of more Female-Friendly Books!

After the vocal complaints from fans, and even the likes of ComicsAlliance, DC have decided to includea wider range of comicbooks aimed at women in the reboot. They have said that they are going to be bring back some previously shelved series, though which ones those will be remains to be seen.

And it's all, or in the very least partially, down to the one Batgirl cosplayer and companion of female creators and characters in comics Kryrax2! Give her a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen!

News from here,
At Bleedingcool.com

And DC's official statement on their increased numbers of women friendly books,
At their blog, The Source

CT: Reaction to DC's ComiCon Panels, And an Interesting Essay on Didio's Comments There

And here is an interesting essay over at ComicAlliance about Dan Didio's response to someone asking him,

"Why did you go from 12% in women [creators] to 1% on your creative teams?"

Leading to him saying, in an apparently overly aggressive way,

"What do those numbers mean to you? What do they mean to you? Who should we be hiring? Tell me right now. Who should we be hiring right now? Tell me.

Essay found here,
Link Text

Awesome Disney Cosplay

From Here

Preview of Bruce Timm's new Green Lantern Series

To be honest I was somewhat sceptical when I first saw the footage for the new GL series, thinking that it looked like those Batman games for the Nintendo 64 and Playstation 2.

But in time it seems to have grown on me. Admittedly, it doesn't seem to be as fluid as Bruce Timm's 2D stuff, but it has a kind of semi-Incredibles feel to the animation albeit on seemingly a lower budget.

Will await this series with interest.

If you are interested in Bruce Timm and Co's previous outtings with Hal Jordan, you could click on the Amazon links below. Personally, I recommend Crisis on Two Earths first, even though it doesn't feature Hal prominently. It has a stellar cast, including James Woods as the main villain, Owlman, and contains enough cameoes to keep the average DC fan happy.

Then I'd recommend First Flight, as it makes Hal a lot more interesting than the current comicbook incarnation, as well as redesigning the costumes in numerous neat ways. Also, it has Michael Madsen as Kilowog!

The newest one, Emerald Knights, I haven't had the opportunity to see yet, unfortunately, but when I do I'll be sure to review it.

Knights of Badassdom Trailer

Here's the slightly NSFW trailer for the upcoming fantasy comedy, where some LARPers accidentally raise a real demon whilst in the midst of their game. Looks like it might be good, though it still has the possiblity of being utterly terrible. Better than that one that said that LARPers would go crazy at the drop of a hate and start murderin' folk, like in that movie, the Wild Hunt.

Red vs. Blue Season 9 - episode 6