Well, we made it through another week. In this day & age, that’s not as assured as one might think! Anyway, I was randomly thinking about Nickelback the other day, and how it’s not fair that they became THE group to shit on. I mean, at least they have a “genre”: they’re Divorced Dad Bar Rock, just like 3 Doors Down and Hinder. The kind of thing where a guy listening is muttering something like “Sheila…that fucking bitch…” You know it when you hear it, and you kinda feel bad for the guy. But ya know who’s a worse band? OneRepublic. They’ve been around 20 years, and you can’t nail down their “sound”. They hit the scene with “Apologize”, simply because they got Timbaland to make one noise that’s looped on it. After that, no other song sounded like the one before it. I can appreciate when an artist’s sound *evolves*, but I don’t like when they hopscotch all over the place. Ryan Tedder has put out 20 years of mediocre songs that somehow are frequently chosen for national ad placements. And Coldplay isn’t far behind. Have you listened to recent Coldplay? Chris Martin is just doing whatever the fuck he wants, while the rest of the band cashes their checks. “Oh, you want to perform with this Lithuanian polka rapper? Sure thing, Chris!” He needs to be stopped! Anyway…
So, Lindsay and I saw Les Misérables last Saturday at the Kennedy Center. We got the tickets before Trump took over and started fucking shit up down there, so there was a good chance the show wasn’t going to happen. Tons of acts have either canceled or had their shows canceled by the administration, so it’s a delicate time for The Arts. Anyway, Les Miz is a funny show, in that it’s sort of “pedestrian musical theatre”. Given that it’s almost 40 years old at this point, it falls in that Cats category, where saying it’s your favorite musical is like saying Pikachu is your favorite Pokémon, or Ketchup is your favorite sauce. It’s the safe answer. You’re not gonna impress anyone with that. Still, I discovered musical theatre in high school, and Les Miz was one of the first soundtracks I gravitated towards. Sure, everyone loved Rent at the time, but I got tired of their complaining. “Oooh, I can’t pay my rent.” Join the club, sister! But Cameron Mackintosh made sure every song on that Les Miz soundtrack was a banger. “One Day More”? “Do You Hear The People Sing”? “I Dreamed A Dream”? ICONIC! So, I was singing these all throughout junior and senior year. As it’s a “sung-through” musical, you can get the entire story just by listening to the CDs (that’s how old I am). So, while I hadn’t seen it at that point, I was more than familiar with it.
Then, I studied abroad one summer in college, in England. And one of our excursions was to see the show. I was so excited, and was almost immediately disappointed. The set was built on a turntable, so it wasn’t Theatre In The Round, but it was something of a shortcut. It was giving “regional dinner theatre”, and the cast was probably as committed as your average Medieval Times employee. So, I lost that lovin’ feeling, and really hadn’t thought much about it since. I discovered other musicals, and life went on. So, when she said it was coming, it was like “Yay, an opportunity to do something!”, but it was also kinda like “Been there, done that.” That’s why I’m more than happy to tell you that it was The Greatest Show I’ve Ever Seen.
Now, I’m not a live theatre connoisseur. My knowledge of shows comes from Playbill, CDs, and online gossip. The number of shows I’ve actually seen could be counted on two hands. So, I may not be the best judge here, but EVERYONE brought their A-game. You know how usually there’s an understudy or something, who clearly isn’t on the same level as the main cast? But they got to do the show because it was a Saturday matinee, and their family had flown in from Toledo? That didn’t happen here. Every voice was incredible. Fantine was so incredible that I hated when she died (spoiler alert? It’s been 40 years!), as it meant we weren’t going to hear much from her anymore. But here came Eponine, who was pretty much on the same level. The chorus, the crescendos…it all gave me chills.
Plus, it’s interesting what Time will do for your perspective. Ask anyone on the street who the villain of Les Miz is, and they’ll probably say “Javert”, because pop culture has taught us that he’s an asshole for doggedly pursuing ValJean for “simply” stealing a loaf of bread. It’s more complex than that, though. Javert is a man of the law, believing he’s almost ordained by God Himself (I had also totally forgotten the role Christianity played in this whole thing). Not to absolve him, but he feels like he’s simply fulfilling his Purpose. If you want a comparison, he’s a lot like Constable Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The problem is that Odo grew over time, and had a soft spot when needed. Javert was just too far gone, as we would go on to see. ValJean HAD to steal for survival, due to life circumstances. Javert was trained that all crime was wrong, due to life circumstances. At the end of the day, however, they were both victims of a fucked up system.
Anyway, amazing show. I wish I could name cast members, but they gave out a weird program that didn’t put names with roles, so Lord only knows who those talented bastards were. Also, it was the first time, in a very long time, where I sat there thinking “I miss performing”. Nothing I ever did was even close to that level, but it was still meaningful. These days, I get my validation by writing this for the five of you. And it ain’t working lol.
On the TV side of things, I finally doubled back to finish Creature Commandos on Max. I had no clue it was a 7-episode season (Seven? Who does that?!), so I had actually stopped watching right before the finale. That said, all momentum was GONE. So, it was fine, I guess, but probably would have meant more if I’d stuck with it. I never really hear anyone talk about it, so I guess it was merely “OK” for most other folks, too. It didn’t do anything to get me excited for the “GunnVerse”, as DC has always been pretty good with the animated stuff, and this was no different. Gunn has a knack for doing wonderful things with broken and forgotten toys. I just don’t know if he’s the guy you let handle your most important toy. I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks.
Trailer Park
Fantastic Four: First Steps (Theaters, July 25)
OK, before someone calls me a “hypocrite”, yes, I’ve gone on record that I hate that we live in a Multi Trailer Ecosphere. And I tend to hate what’s released as the Final Trailer, as it tends to give away the farm for anyone still on the fence. That said, I loved everything here. Something I’ve been wondering: On their Earth, are they still in the 60s, OR did technology and society evolves at a different rate over there? So, it’s actually 2025 (or whatever post-Blip year they’re in. I’ve lost track), but it just looks 60 years older? Because mixed in with all the retro stuff is modern tech, almost like how Batman: The Animated Series had computers, yet the cops rode in blimps and everyone watched black & white TV. Anyway, I’ve got a prediction for ya, so pin this to come back to in a month: I say they escape their Earth, end up in ours, yadda yadda. At the end, however, Franklin (That’s the baby, for those who don’t know) takes his first steps. Hence, the title. And it’ll be all meaningful because the whole thing is about “family”, and how despite everything that happened, they’re still together, and Franklin represents the future – which is both unknown and fantastic.
Roofman (Theaters, October 10)
Y’all can pretty much figure out why I’d want to see this. I mean, other than the stellar cast. So, I’m not gonna insult you by pointing it out.
Run The Numbers
I should really be at 150 with comics by now. I mean, I can easily close that gap, but I wanted to be at 150 by the end of June. We’ve still got a few days left in the month, though, so maybe I’ll pull it out. Also, I could just “cheat”. You see, I read the first volume of Ryan North’s current Fantastic Four run on Hoopla, because it was a Bonus Borrow option this month. That got me one more trade paperback to add. However, had I read those same six issues, separately on the Marvel Unlimited app, I’d have gotten 6 more to add to the Comics total instead of just 1 more added to TPBs/GNs. Same content, but different delivery method.
I found myself reading a lot of Teen Dystopia books this week, starting off with the Image original graphic novel (that means it wasn’t released in single issue form) We Called Them Giants. Written by Kieron Gillen, with art by Stephanie Hans, it’s the story of a foster kid named Lori, who had pretty much learned the lesson that “everyone in life eventually leaves you”. So, this has kept her from making connections with others, or even daring to experience Love. Well, she wakes up one more to discover she was more than correct, as pretty much EVERYONE has disappeared. As she wanders out, searching for another soul, she runs into a classmate, named Annette, and they band together for survival. They later discover that the town has pretty much been claimed by The Dogs, who are a gang that have fortified the local mall. It’s the only safe place in the city, but it’s not exactly safe for women, if you catch my drift. So, the girls do everything in their power to avoid having to go to The Dogs for protection. Everything changes, however, when they notice something crash out of the sky. When they find the point of impact, they discover 2 giant beings – one Red, and one Green. The girls sort of hang out around the periphery of Red’s ship, and it (?) takes notice of them. Begins to leave food out for them, as if they were its pets. The story follows the girls’ attempts to communicate with Red, while also trying to find new ways to survive in this cold (literally) and violent new world.
While there are a lot of familiar tropes, like the Curious and Positive Ill-Fated Friend or the Old Person Who’s About To Give Up, Gillen does new things with a lot of the story. There were things going on that would have bothered me in other stories, but not here. For example, we never learn what happened to everyone. At all. Not even a hint. But that’s not really what the story is about. Plus, learning the source wouldn’t have changed anyone’s situation. Lori wasn’t Katniss Everdeen, nor was she The Chosen One who was gonna bring everyone back. It was an emotional journey, that ended up telling a powerful story. While you’ll leave wondering what happens next, you’ll also realize that it ultimately doesn’t matter. We saw all of the parts of the story that we needed to see. Plus, gorgeous, emotive art from Hans. Definitely recommend.
Next up, I read Get Lost, which is Vol 1 of What’s The Furthest Place From Here?, by the creative team of Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss. Best known for their indie sleeper hit 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, I actually met those guys at a signing a few months back, as they were each promoting their new Image series (We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us and You’ll Do Bad Things, respectively). I hadn’t read this yet, nor had I finished 4 Kids (I read the first issue, like, 5 years ago, and never circled back), so I wasn’t able to really talk to them about. Had I started the series, I definitely would have had questions!
Let’s see…how to explain this? So, we meet Sid, who’s a teenage girl that everyone says is “sick”. Judging by her protruding belly, and the fact that they’re not in Ethiopia, it’s pretty clear that she’s pregnant. Yet no one around her understands that, as they’re all teenagers themselves. You see, something clearly happened in the past, and now there are no adults. Everyone is a teenager, and they’re all split up amongst different “families” for protection. The teens are assigned to families by The Strangers, who are these specters that travel in pairs. They’re faceless giants that govern everything about the teens’ lives, as far as where they can live and what they can eat. Sid happens to belong to a family called The Academy, and the events of the first issue set into motion a chain of events that finds The Academy on the run for survival. Oh, and no adults are allowed in families. Once you turn 18,…something happens to you. I haven’t gotten to the part where that’s explained, but they seem to think you die. And it doesn’t seem like new babies are being born. Yet, it is implied The Strangers might be more than we’ve been led to believe. And, like all stories in this vein, there’s a legend about a city, a promised land, that’s the salvation of all the teens. Sid goes missing, but The Academy feel their search for her might possibly lead them to this mythical place.
Another dystopia, another gang society. I find that whole thing interesting, as it kinda goes all the way back to tribal life. It’s also interesting how there are different avenues to gang membership. I mean, sometimes it’s simple geography, like “I live on West 52nd St, so that means I’m in the West 52nd Street Bulldogs.” At other times, it’s a common bond, like “Oh, we’re the Latin Kings ’cause, well, Latino.” In this story, we don’t really know why folks are assigned to the families in which they find themselves. Plus, similar to The Warriors, every gang has a colorful gimmick and motif. The Academy are basically hipster kids. Their HQ is an old record shop, and one of their traditions is that they have to select their “god”, which is a record that represents them, and is kept with them at all times. When they die, their god is burned in a ceremony marking their passing. Meanwhile, Big Business is a gang of finance dorks whose HQ is the local bank, and they wear pig masks. There’s the Blue Boys, who are basically scouts who uphold the laws between families. There’s The Carnival, which is run by the Carnies, and they travel around, doling out sentences to law breakers. It’s a whole complex thing.
I didn’t expect to get so engrossed in the story, and my only complaint is that there are too many members in the families. The Academy has about 12 members, but only really 4 of them matter. The rest seem to be cannon fodder, or hanging around in case someone needs to make a bold statement by leaving the family. Plus, like the Hydra, they’d lose 2 members, and suddenly have 2 more, yet those folks are never given an introduction or even named. I got to a point where I’d see a random character, and not know if it was a random passerby or a member of The Academy that we simply hadn’t seen yet.
Anyway, this is a series I had initially bought monthly, and I forgot that there’s a time jump. So, when the issues were collected, issues 7-9 aren’t collected until volume 4. Well, I read volume 1 digitally (which was dumb, as I own the trades, but was too lazy to go downstairs), and then followed the issue numbers when trying to figure out the next volume to download. I ended up with Vol 4, and was screwed because I needed Vol 2, but that download had caused me to hit my Hoopla monthly limit. So, that’s where I left things. I hope to read Vol 2 by this time next week.
Finally, as I mentioned above, I read Whatever Happened To The Fantastic Four?, which is the first volume of Ryan North’s Fantastic Four run. Now, some backstory: I’ve never been a Fantastic Four fan, and I used to blame it on the concept – “First and foremost, we’re a FAMILY”. Anytime I read an FF book, I didn’t get that impression. Now, however, I’m beginning to realize that I didn’t have issues with the concept, but rather the execution. I started reading comics in the 90s, and I’m not sure you could say that era really embodied a definitive period for any characters not created at Image. As a casual passerby, I knew Reed was cold and aloof, Sue was neglected and horny, Johnny was a Himbo, and Thing loved clobbering stuff, but was also depressed because he looked like a monster. In fact, one of my first issues of the book was Vol 1 #371, where Sue debuts her new cleavage and midriff baring costume, which she designed solely to try to get more attention from Reed. This is the woman who was trying to bang Namor! That’s the impression that I’ve held of these characters my whole comic fandom, which kept me away from them. And I tried other runs, like Waid & Wieringo, Slott, and more. Hell, I even tried Ultimate Fantastic Four, but I never got “Family” from any of it.
North, however, has changed that. In these six issues, I see them as a family, and I see what they mean to each other. It also helps that, unlike most comic characters, they seems to have grown past those issues that had turned me off them. Sue seems to finally understand Reed, and is trying to account for the fact that he simply doesn’t see the world like everyone else does. It’s not that he’s intentionally neglectful, but rather he’s processing SO much information at all times. Meanwhile, their marriage seems stronger. This doesn’t seem like a Sue who wants to come home, smelling like fish. Johnny’s still Johnny, but 80s and 90s sitcoms taught us you need The Dumb One. Matt LeBlanc built a career off that! Finally, The Thing has moved past his whole “woe is me” shtick, as he’s found love with Alicia Masters. Not only are they married, but they’re also raising kids together.
Now, this being comics, any of this could be snatched away in a heartbeat, but I think this is different. I mean, I know it has its fans out there, but I think they long for the early days, with Galactus and Silver Surfer. While the FF have been present for basically all Marvel events – with Reed usually having a prominent role – other than the Jonathan Hickman run, I don’t know of many Must Read arcs from the past, say, 30 years of the franchise (That sounds like a lot, but really only takes us back to 1995. Yup, we’re old). So, it could be argued that everything Marvel had been doing with them simply didn’t work.
It also didn’t help that corporate interests demanded their book canceled back in 2015, due to the fact that 20th Century Fox wouldn’t return the film rights to Marvel. Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter didn’t see any point in making money for another company, so he ordered the Fantastic Four book canceled. Sure, the characters were still around, but the team – and their book – was gone for about 3 years. So, it seems like the 2018 Slott run, combined with North’s, is something of a “back to basics” approach, which is especially important, given that the upcoming film is going to introduce those characters to a new audience. I’m not even gonna tell you what this collection is about. Just go read it!
Will Around The Web
It’s a new episode of Remember That Show?, as Adam and I traveled to The City to discuss the 1994 Fox Kids series The Tick. As always, it’s a spirited discussion, where we both learn a lesson, and come out of it as better people. Or something like that. Check it out!
Things You Might Have Missed This Week
- Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will be appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I’m so tired of trying to figure out this rights situations. So, Punisher can appear in TV and movies (I guess since he was Lionsgate, which Marvel got back), while Kingpin can only appear in the shows? But that’s not the same for Daredevil, who appeared in both Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk. However, the Spider-Man movies are co-productions between Sony and Marvel Studios. And Hulk can appear in someone else’s movie, but can’t get a solo movie without Marvel Studios having to pay Universal. Ugh. Anyway, I’ve never seen any of Bernthal’s Punisher, so someone let me know if this is a good thing or not.
- At a recent con, James Marsters revealed that Joss Whedon had planned to add the Spike character from Buffy The Vampire Slayer to Fox sci fi show Firefly. The thinking was that Spike was immortal, so the crew of the Serenity would meet Spike in a bar, and he would go on to join their crew. As we all know, however, Firefly didn’t last more than a season, so that didn’t happen.
- Disney Pixar’s Elio, with a budget of $150 million, opened to $43 million, making it the lowest grossing opening in Pixar history. Meanwhile, Disney officially announced live action Lilo & Stitch 2.
- Johnny Knoxville will be the host of the Fear Factor reboot that’s moving to Fox. When you think about it, that makes a Hell of a lot more sense than Joe Rogan ever did.
- Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” won the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Song. That is NOT OK.
- Desperately grasping for relevance, Meta announced that Instagram users will soon be able to edit their Grid, since that’s such an important part of showcasing yourself on the app.
- Speaking of Meta, Aaron Sorkin will write & direct a sequel to The Social Network. I swear, if they don’t cast Awkwafina as Priscilla Chan…
- Russell Crowe will join Henry Cavill in a Highlander reboot, taking on the mentor role originally portrayed by Sean Connery.
I already revealed my feelings on this show earlier in the week, but promised I’d go into more detail here. You see, I went into this, like everyone else, expecting something terrible. It seemed plagued by delays (it was reportedly filmed in 2022!), and I didn’t love the character’s portrayal in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. So, this felt like a project that Marvel Studios was simply burning off because it signaled the end of Phase 5 of the MCU. Ironheart was released on Tuesday, at which point I binged the available episodes (3 were released on Tuesday, with the final 3 being released next Tuesday), and I’m happy to say that I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
So, let’s back up a bit. Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart, debuted in the comics in the 2010s, during a Legacy Era, where most of Marvel’s biggest heroes were being replaced by younger, minority counterparts. Tony Stark, gravely injured during Civil War II, was in a coma (which I appreciated way more than them saying he was dead, which we all would have known just meant “dead”), and teenage genius Riri was off building a suit of armor for herself. She was the opposite of Stark, in that she was black, not rich, and didn’t have a ton of resources at her disposal. This is the era when Bendis was writing the character, so there were a LOT of moving parts. Coma Tony, Mary Jane Watson working for Stark’s company, Tony’s birth mother is found, as a previous arc had revealed he had been adopted by Howard and Maria Stark, yet his birth mother was a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Like I said, a LOT of moving parts! Anyway, in Tony’s absence, this cast of supporting characters comes together to sort of nurture Riri, and position her to take Tony’s place. Also, Tony had downloaded his consciousness into an AI, which controls Riri’s armor. So, AI Tony operates as Riri’s J.A.R.V.I.S. Once Tony eventually comes back – because they all come back – Riri adopts the name Ironheart, and tries to find her place in the world.
In the MCU, Riri is the same, but she doesn’t have the Iron Man supporting cast around her. We meet her in Wakanda Forever, and I don’t even remember a ton of what she was there for, as it felt more like they were putting pieces in position for future projects, as opposed to it being organic. Anyway, she teamed up with Shuri, and their combined Black Girl Magic saved Wakanda from Namor and the Atlanteans. When this series starts, she has just returned from her “internship abroad”, and is trying to get her grant renewed. She looks up to Stark because her stepfather was a Stark fan, whi always encouraged Riri to tear things down in order to understand how they work. Plus, she has great respect for Stark, since he was responsible for her grant. Oh, did I mention she goes to MIT? So, yeah, this is the same grant that Tony announced at the beginning of Captain America: Civil War, when he was doing a demo of the B.A.R.F. tech! This is the kind of callback that I love. Anyway, to make ends meet, Riri has been violating MIT’s code of ethics, which gets her expelled. She ends up going back home to Chicago, desperate to find ways to fund upgrades for her suit. That’s really all you need to know, as I don’t want to spoil anything.
Now, I acknowledge everything about this show that’s gonna make some people hate it. First off, it’s an Unapologetically Black show. This is a show by Black people, predominantly made for Black people. They’re not trying to spare feelings or even make anyone comfortable. It doesn’t explain itself, but you recognition of center things sort of puts you at ease. That, however, is going to alienate the majority of Marvel’s fanbase. I get that, yet I don’t care. I mean, the people who are gonna hate it are the same people who hate that Riri was created at all: “Why is Marvel ‘going woke’, and replacing all the Classic heroes with…these people?” That was every messageboard during that era, and most never came around to characters like Riri. They simply learned to at worst ignore her, but at most tolerate her, after she adopted a different, adjacent hero identity. So, this isn’t for them.
This show is Meteor Man, without the camp value. There are things that a lot of folks aren’t going to get, but those who do are gonna love them. The way her neighbors clown her for crash landing in the street, in broad daylight. The way she yells “Go home, Roger!” to her friend. Cree Summer! The street corner prophet, yelling about how “Thanos was just the beginning” and how “Tony’s not here to save you again”. That’s both accurate, and foreshadowing.
Aside from the race stuff, there’s everything concerning The Hood. The same folks are gonna be mad that “Parker Robbins” is now Puerto Rican, and he has assembled a gang comprised of queer and nonbinary members. Whether we’re talking about the bruisers known as “The Blood Sibs”, or master hacker Slug, who’s one of Madripoor’s Most Wanted. There’s a line that keeps coming up through the series. People ask Riri why she’s done something, and she answers “Because I could”. Similar to how you climb Mount Everest simply because it’s there, she does things because she CAN do things. This is a lesson she learned from her stepdad, but it’s also the theme of the series itself. Producer Ryan Coogler and showrunner Chinaka Hodge did have to do any of these things. They simply did them because they could. Nothing was lost by doing this, and it actually provides a richer experience. I mean, I’ve been a fan of The Hood since his first appearance, but he was never a villain to be taken seriously. There’s an era where he manages to replace the Kingpin, and that never felt…”natural”. Here,, however, they’ve given us a Parker Robbins with an acceptable power level, and possibly achievable goals. He’s an interesting character, and his new background only adds to that.
There were only two things that sort of stopped me in my tracks. First off, did Riri and Shuri have a falling out? Like I said, I barely remember Wakanda Forever, but I seem to remember they parted on good terms. I just don’t understand how you’re hard up for cash when you’ve got the contact info of international royalty. I’m not saying Shuri gives her the money, but she’s got resources. The Wakandans bought up an entire city block. They could throw Riri a cool mil to finish her robot suit. Secondly, Riri leaves MIT with her armor, under the explanation that she had paid for it herself, with her grant money. Um, that’s not how higher education works. It’s also fitting that just the night before, I’d been watching The Big Bang Theory on Nick @ Nite (Yeah, I already know you hate that show, so there’s no need to say it), and it’s the episode where the guys are trying to finalize paperwork for an invention. Cal Tech stood to take 70% ownership, as the project was conceived at their institution, using their resources. They’re reminded that institutions don’t support research out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. So, even if we flipped the percentages, MIT still owns at least 30% of that armor she just took. And before you tell me I’m overthinking it, the legal ownership of Cap’s shield figured prominently in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Anyway, I applaud Marvel for making this series, and it’s unfortunate that the timing of the current anti-DEI crusade killed any hype or momentum for it. I don’t know if y’all have noticed, but there are a lot of movies coming out these days, where the president is a black woman. That’s because a lot of these projects were planned in a climate that was expecting a much different outcome than the one we got. Ironheart was created for the world we expected, but it sadly ended up in the world we got. They really had something special on their hands, and I hope the audience comes out to support it. In any case, Ironheart had the West Week Ever.
