Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands review

Continuing my goal to write about comics I'm currently reading, I herein give you my take on the latest Black Lightning comic from DC.


I know very little about the character Black Lightning. The only comics I remember reading that he was in are the first year or so of Batman and the Outsiders. I'm not sure what the origins of the character are, other than he was created by Tony Isabella, who writes this series. With all the reboots in DC continuity, I'm not sure if Black Lightning even has a current origin story. And speaking of Mr. Isabella, I promise not to be prejudiced because Tony is one of my Facebook friends, an Ohio resident, and a guy I've talked to at many comic cons going back to when I was a teenager. I will admit I might be prejudiced by Tony being a super nice guy!



By the way, Black Lightning has electrical powers--which should be obvious--including being able to hurl lightning, having a force field, and manipulation of electromagnetic forces, which allows him to somewhat fly and levitate heavy things. He's also a teacher when he isn't in costume, which is a big part of his personality and I, of course, approve!

Anyway, the first issues centers on a group of thieves called the "Weathermen" who are using high-tech guns to rob places in Cleveland and cause all kinds of mischief. You read that right, by the way. Unlike most DC heroes who are based in fictional cities, BL isn't patrolling the streets of "Laketown, Midwest" or some such, but is in the real city of Cleveland. Anyway, over the course of the issue or hero, of course, does his job and stops the bad guy (I leave out details to encourage everyone to go buy the book!) but it isn't easy. First, because this is all part of a master plan by a big bad guy. And second, because the local law enforcement is split on whether they want BL to help, or BL to go to jail.



This latter plotline is what gives this story more depth than your typical super-hero affair. As the cover says: "A hero for today's headlines" ,and our hero has to deal with the attitudes of police and public towards BL and his actions. There's real tension and the question of if that tension is caused by anti-vigilantism feelings alone, or is there some racism thrown in there to boot?  And it looks like things will only get more heated as the series continues.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. One of my favorite comics I've read this year and a great example of how to write a good super-hero story!  And the art by Clayton Henry is very nice! Slick and exciting and great storytelling!

The Champions

So I thought I'd take a look at some of the comics I'm currently enjoying, starting with my current favorite Marvel, the Champions!

I think what I really like about the Champions is that it is about the next generation of Marvel heroes. This is interesting because the characters are young and trying to be heroes in a world where super-folks are well established. This reflects the classic Marvel comics of the 60's that it deals with people new to being heroes, but it also deals with this as a continuation of the classic Marvel comics, not a reboot. I'm not a big fan of reboots because they always end up telling the same stories that were told originally all over again. And that's just not very creative, I think.


Cast-wise I am enjoying everyone, but I think I can kinda rank them as to my preferences. I know there are some more characters recently joined, but here's the ones I have opinions about so far:

I'm probably least interested in the new Hulk, Amadeus Cho. He's the smartest and can Hulk-out and become strong and invulnerable. No real downside to this.

The  Viv Vision is okay, but doesn't really differ much from the Vision. Still, she gets into some interesting situations, and I think this is a good example of doing well with a rather dull character.

Cyclops is more fun than I thought he would be. This is Scott Summers as a time-displaced teen. Much more interesting than the adult character has been in years.

Spider-Man, Mile Morales is almost as interesting as Peter Parker was as a teen.

Nova is a blast. He's very unsure of himself despite being very powerful. I always thought the original Nova character was fun, and since he never became more than a B-level hero, he's a good character to revisit by having the legacy passed on to a younger character.

But by far my favorite is Ms. Marvel! Kamala Khan is just amazing! She's powerful, but not overly so, and she's very optimistic usually, yet she encounters a lot of hardship. Mostly her interactions with Nova and Spider-Man make the Champions such an entertaining book.



Okay, I know that's brief. Maybe I'll add more as I catch up reading the Champions. I  have a couple issues in my "to read" stack.

Comics I'm reading

Gotta start talking about something. I haven't been reading a lot of new comics that come from the "big" publishers, but I do really enjoy the series I am reading. These currently include:

The Champions


Justice League

Superwoman

Astro City

Groo


Resident Alien

The Komandi Challenge



Star Trek: New Visions

I am planning to check out the new Waid-written Captain America series, also. Perhaps you have a suggestion? You could comment below.

Review: Squirrel Girl and the Great Lakes Avengers

I recently picked up the Squirrel Girl and the Great Lakes Avengers collection. I'll be honest, I only bought it for one reason: It feature the Great Lakes Avengers. Also, it was on sale. And, of course, Steve Ditko! If you're counting, that isn't really one reason. But this is Squirrel  Girl we're talking about, do you think I'm going to even try to be serious here?

But let me start being a little serious about Ditko. Steve Ditko helped launch the Marvel age of comics, specifically with his creation Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. Ditko even plotted most of the stories that were scripted by Stan Lee, and the combo was fantastic. Ditko is the "other artist" who launched the Marvel age, due to the unequalled brilliance of Jack Kirby, the King of comics. Some people even like Ditko better than Kirby, though even if you don't, being second to Kirby is no insult!

So, anyway, when I was deciding whether or not to buy the collection, the inclusion of the Ditko plotted and drawn origin story was the decider for me. The origin story establishes Squirrel Girl as a determined though goofy character, who manages to defeat Dr. Doom and save Iron Man! It just takes guts, some luck, and a bunch of squirrels.

The Great Lakes Avengers were created by my favorite comic artist, John Byrne during his run on the West Coast Avengers. (JB's WCA is okay, but not his best work. Some really good ideas, but it always seemed off.) The Great Lakes Avengers were created as a team of heroes with goofy names and powers that would eventually become straight-up super heroes. But JB's run on the title was cut short and the idea never finished. So they've stayed a goofy group since. But I like them. Despite the incorrect naming. You see, they say they couldn't be the "North Coast Avengers" because the USA doesn't have a north coast. However, anyone living on the Great Lakes knows that the lakes ARE the north coast. Anyway, the name is just to sound like the JLA. At least I think so.

The ongoing theme is that the GLA don't do much because nothing in the Marvel universe ever happens in the mid-west. Galactus always attacks New York for some reason. And Squirrel Girl makes a good addition to the GLA because she's extremely respected and successful at the heroing thing, whereas the GLA just kind of show up and try but never do much. Most of the stories in the collection are written by Dan Slott, who is a very good writer, and I like his stuff the best. He writes some modern Marvel books, and I don't read too much of those, but I do need to seek out more of his work. The weakest stories in the collection, in my humble opinion, involve Deadpool. I don't know why, probably because just don't like Deadpool. He does nothing at all for me. Yeah, I know he's popular and all, but I just don't get him. I did love the appearances of Speedball, another Ditko creation. I have almost all issues of Speedball's original series. It's quite fun, I think!

I ordered the next Squirrel Girl collection, so if I like it I'll post more later!

Live Entertainment Review- Including Lights, Camera, Action!

I wasn't going to post about this, but it's going through my head and I might as well get it out. I've written a few things in the past about live entertainment, and how much I think it is enjoyable to watch people on stage. It isn't that I don;t like movies or internet videos or such, but there is definitely something special about live entertainment, whether it is in the form of nationally acclaimed acts, local bands, or even grade-school musicals!

Anyway, I was reflecting on the entertainment at the local amusement park, Cedar Point, and I realized how fortunate I we locals are. Not only do I get to see the acts many times over the summer and fall, but I get to see some really talented performers! (Yes, I also love roller-coasters, but I don;t limit my enjoyment to JUST roller-coasters!) And it's really amazing to me that we get such talented young people at Cedar Point. I mean, yes it is s pretty big deal in the amusement park world, with rides people come from all over the world to see. But when it comes to singing and dancing, well...it isn't New York or L.A. after all. It's middle-of-Lake-Erie Ohio.

Let me squeeze in one example from this year, and this isn't to denigrate any of the other fine acts, it's just the show I got to see the most. Last year I commented on how much I enjoyed the watching the cast of Bandstand, USA, the show at the Jack Aldrich theater at the front of the park. So this year the theater had an all-new show with an all-new cast. Did I enjoy it as much? Well....I don't think the new show was better...or worse. It was just different. I think this year's show, Lights, Camera, Action, was technically more difficult (and maybe the most complex of these musical review shows I've seen at C.P.) especially some of the complex vocal numbers. The performers really sounded great! And I really looked forward to seeing everyone each time I visited the theater.

So big kudos to all the live entertainers out there, and special thumbs up to the cast of Lights, Camera, Action as they go on to other projects! I anxiously await the next round of shows this fall. (As well as some high school band performances!)

Painted Avengers!

Some more examples of my acrylic paintings.

When I get around to it, I may do Hank and Janet next!

Marvel Team-Up

I'm going to talk a bit about a comic series I have been reading lately. That is, the classic Marvel Team-Up comic, mostly featuring Spider-Man. I picked up the Essential Team-Up Vol. 1 & 2, and am just about finished reading Vol. 2, and I had some thoughts.

First, this is a hard series to recommend unless you are a real completist for the adventures of Spider-Man or the Human Torch. There's much potential in a team-up style comic, but it takes a while before Marvel Team-Up gets its legs.  The original concept of the book was just a Spider-Man/Human Torch buddy book, but that was scrapped early on in favor of Spider-Man and a different guest-star every month, with the occasional issue featuring the Human Torch and a guest. Still, the stories were pretty pedestrian and the really reads at first like the 2nd or 3rd tier Spider-Man book that it was at the time. (Spectacular Spider-Man premiered in 1976.)

As I said, there is some potential in a Team-Up book. I think the best team-up stories involve characters that are B and C listers that could never maintain their own titles, but are interesting to visit. The team-up book is never going to have the most important events in the main character's life, and doesn't involve the key villains either.  For instance, Peter Parker won't get a new job or a new girlfriend or have a showdown with the Green Goblin, but it CAN have important events in the guest-star's life.  Personally, I think Marvel Team-Up really takes off when Bill Mantlo comes aboard as writer. He takes Spider-Man to some starnge places and times, and teams him with the likes of the Scarlet Witch and Moondragon, instead of Iron Man or Thor. Plus you get great art by Sal Buscema, who could always draw any character in any story and had impeccable storytelling skills!

There are some classic runs of Team-Up including early Chris Claremont/John Byrne and a great run written by J.M. DeMatteis. This is the first I've read the early issues, and though it hasn't been as much fun as other Essentials, its interesting seeing the evolution of the comic as it found its way and became a true classic. I did read the end of the original run, which lasted 150 issues, and I was sorry to see the title end.

Announcement: Writer wanted

I have decided to search for a collaborator. Specifically, I am looking for someone interested in having some fun writing one of my comics. Let me explain.

I have been producing the post-apocalyptic tale "Mutant Animals vs Zombies vs Machines vs Humans" now since January of 2016. I have been publishing a page every other week (alternating with my other webcomic, Mutant Elf). I am just wrapping up the first storyline, separated into two 20-page chapters. I have a vague idea where to go from here, but I'm not really sure. Mostly, I find coming up with dialogue and making the plot sensible to be the biggest challenge. I've decided that the only way I can continue is to find someone willing to write the story. Specifically, I need someone who can write and letter pages I have drawn. This is (so far) just a fun project, and does not include any financial gain.

My current plan is to put MAvZvMvH on hiatus after the current storyline, then publish an 8-page Mutant Elf story, then get back to publishing MAvZvMvH again if things have worked out.

By the way, I plan to remain as the only creative force on Mutant Elf. It's been much easier to write and draw. Maybe because of the lighter tone (though I did plan on  MAvZvMvH being a bit lighter than it ended up...) or maybe I just have all the Mutant Elf characters down pat.

Anyway, if interested, e-mail me please! I'd love to hear from you!

RIP Joan Lee

I just had to say some words about the passing of Joan Lee, wife of Stan Lee.
Stan Lee is more than just a writer and creator of comic book characters. He's an American legend. A true National Hero. He was married to the love of his life in 1947, just short of 70 years ago. That's one heck of a number!
I'm sure Stan would never have been as great without the support of Joan all these years. I wish him the best in the coming days.

Alien in residence

I've been reading through my stack and just finished the most recent Resident Alien mini-series, The Man With No Name. I've been saying for the past years that Resident Alien is my favorite current comic series. I'll try to explain why as I discuss the latest chapter in the life of our stranded alien.

Writer Peter Hogan and artist Steve Parkhouse have produced 4 Resident Alien stories since 2012. Each story consists of a 4-part tale furthering the story of Harry (who's real name is Hah-re) while also revealing more about his origins. Also, each tale involves some mystery that Harry must help solve. In this way, the series is really a mash-up of a Science Fiction and a Mystery book. The combination works great, because each chapter so far has moved the story along enough to keep things interesting.

The most recent mini, The Man With No Name, for example, continues the subplot of the government agents that are tracking down Harry. We know they have a lead, and they are closer than they realize. But the Feds are still unaware of how close they have come. In Patience, Harry is faced with the death of a drifter, and his cryptic last words to Harry. Harry must, of course, find out the secret of this man.  Most importantly for the advancement of the story, is Harry meeting Asta's father, Dan Twelvetrees. Despite Harry's initial misgivings, the two become friends and confidants despite Dan being able to see past harry's telepathic deceptions. The only strange thing to me is the impression some have of a romance between Asta and Harry. This is strange because Harry is supposed to be an elderly doctor. Quite older than Asta from my interpretation. In reality I think he's really old, since he spent some time in suspended animation. But that could also make him not so old. There's also some police action in this one! And then there's Honey's picture. She's the little girl from last series who can also see Harry as he really looks. But Harry doesn't know that...yet!

Again, I love the way the series keeps things moving. This isn't a story that sits still. Things change and evolve. Yet, there's still the same plot of a mystery for Harry  to solve, and the reader trying to figure it out before he does so.

Everyone should be reading Resident Alien!! It really is that good!

This is my rendition of Harry, in and out of his Alien gear.

In other Alien notes, I've been re-reading my Alien Legion comics this summer. Alien Legion was created by Carl Potts with Alan Zelenetz and Frank Cirocco for Marvel's old Epic line back in the 80's. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read. A war comic set in another galaxy, with lots of cool characters and events. Several other writers and artists have worked on the title, and I've enjoyed each one's take on the group. The comics have been reprinted as trades, notably from Dark Horse and Titan publishing so you can get them even if you can't find all the old comics!

Aliens are cool no matter how you get them, but I recommend the above to start!

Baby Groot statue

I did some sculpting recently and thought it was a good time to post the results with the release last weekend of the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

I've also been drawing a story for Squad Car #3, the publisher of which made this goofy hype video for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Hb5qemJJg&feature=youtu.be

More soon!

Mini-reviews: Rogue One and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The two fictional series that I enjoy the most are the Star Wars and Harry Potter universes. Recently, both of these universes were expanded upon by the release of a movie that lies outside the original narrative. I watched both of these movies in the same week recently, and have written some of my thoughts here.

Rogue one was an interesting visit to the Star Wars universe. The best part of the movie is the big fight at the end. It was loads of fun to see the rebel forces with all the classic ships in a big battle against the Empire in a scale that was not possible in the original movie. However, the build-up to the big fight at the end was not nearly as interesting. Unlike The Force Awakens, I was not that interested in the new characters introduced this time around. Also, the situations that lead up to the final battle were just not nearly as exciting as the norm established by George Lucas with the original trilogies.

It is also true that the movie lacks some suspense because it is a prequel and the viewer knows exactly where everything is heading. The writers tried to work around this with the introduction of the new characters, bu, as I said above, I did not find them overly interesting. I also did not like the idea that a flaw was built into the Death Star. This is unnecessary and makes the effort by the rebels technicians to find a weakness in the original movie seem less heroic.

Finally, I'd like to note that I am more interested new tales that take the Star Wars Universe into new territory than stories that fill in gaps that don't really need to be filled in the existing Canon. This movie was really unnecessary. But it was fun, and I'll give the creators involved credit for that much.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not really a prequel even though it occurs before the original Harry Potter series, because this was a totally different tale with a totally different villains and heroes that are not related to the original cast of the Harry Potter book series. In this case we know very little about the new characters and I really did like the characters introduced in the film.

The plot kept the story moving and interesting and I found it hard to predict where things were going. The magic used in a movie was fun, especially since this shows magic interacting with the "real world" as opposed to the books which primarily take place in the Wizarding World.

One of the aspects of the Harry Potter books that I enjoy the most is the big reveal moment that occurs for the end of the story. In this movie there are two reveals concerning who is the threat to the main characters. I really enjoyed and was surprised by the reveal of the identity of the person whose magic was killing non-magical people. The other villain reveal was a little more obvious and more extreme than necessary. All the character had to be was a sympathizer and not the actual big-name villain of this era of the Harry Potter world and I think it would have been just as effective but less coincidental.

I hope to see more in the Harry Potter universe including a follow-up to this movie so we can visit with these characters again and see where life takes them. Besides, I do tend to love period works, so historical fiction of this type is right up my alley!

Well, that's my commentary for now. I'll be back with more later!

Review: Alex Haley's Roots

I recently finished reading the classic novel of the slave experience in America Roots: The Saga of an American Family by legendary author Alex Haley. Reading this classic was a very moving experience for me, and as with many of my favorite things, this novel made me think a lot about things. In this case, I've been thinking a lot about history, life, and humanity. I saw some of the mini-series based on the book (I was too young to watch it when it premiered.) and I saw the sequel mini-series in its entirety when it originally aired, but I have not revisited them since,

Let me start by saying that I am aware of criticisms leveled against this book,  almost all of which have to do with its historical accuracy or lack thereof. But I came into the experience knowing it is not non-fiction, but rather a dramatized version of reality. Historical fiction based loosely on real events. I read the book as a depiction of what life was like for Africans and their descendants during the days when slavery was a common practice in the United States.

The story tells mostly of Kunta Kinte, an African who is captured by slavers and taken to the colonies that would soon become the United States of America. He is sold into slavery, tries to escape several times, and eventually accepts his condition, marries, and has a child. Unfortunately that child is sold to another owner in her teens. The story then continues with Kunta's daughter, Kizzy, and her descendants, all the way to Alex Haley himself.

The bulk of the book tells the plight of slaves and describes the institution of slavery in the United States. In modern times it is often hard to believe slavery was ever allowed in America, much less that it was popular worldwide for much of human existence. The aspect that most struck me is how the slave owners believed that slavery could ever work. The mentality is that slaves should just accept their fate and be good slaves, then they owners wouldn't have to punish them. The reason this is crazy is that there's no way any person wants to be owned. No matter what, even with the most humane treatment, slaves are always going to want freedom. And there's no way any revisionist is going to make a convincing arguement that slaves in America were treated humanely.

The other thing that hit me the hardest is how the white men would look upon the blacks as inferior, treat them like subhumans, but then seemed to have no problem sexually assaulting them. The one aspect of American slavery that has been the most damaging, and continues to haunt us today, is the racist rationale behind it. White people in positions of power assumed and rationalized that they were superior to darker skinned people, and used it as justification to treat them horribly.

As a final note, the novel does an excellent job telling the story of slavery through the eyes of the characters, and the characters and their lives are very engaging. This makes the book more entertaining than a non-fiction book about the subject. But even more importantly, it makes the story that much more human, and allows the reader to connect with the characters and understand

their situation more.

Dr. Strange

Marvel's premiere mystic has long been one of my favorites, though it is rather...strange. I don't usually like characters with no upper limit to their power, and the good Doc definitely is one of the most powerful Marvel characters ever created. In effect, he can do anything the writer wants him to do. Because..magic! However, despite this seeming lack of a weakness, there are some absolutely amazing Dr. Strange comics.

First, there is the original run by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, which established the back ground and tone for Marvel magic. Stan continued after Steve's departure and kept the neat adventures going. Anyone should agree that Doc has one of the best origin stories ever, and the rhyming incantations really bring a flavor to the series that other magical acts lack.

Then there's my favorite: the Roger Stern run in the 80's begun with artist Marshall Rogers and completed with the inimitable Paul Smith. Roger's run harkens back to the Steve/Stan days and yet doesn't seem "old" at all. It also develops the relationship between Stephen and his disciple and love Clea. As well Roger gives us a Clea who grows beyond the shadow of her mentor, and proves very capable on her own!

Anyway, even though I think it would be incredibly difficult to continue to write stories that challenge a guy who can cast spells to do pretty much anything he needs done, Dr. Strange has some excellent comics. And the recent movie mines the source material very well to give us another successful "Marvel Movie"! Though not as good as Ant-Man, in my opinion, Dr. Strange is a "must not miss" movie for anyone who like the Marvel cinematic universe or the classic comics!

I'll end with a recent drawing of mine, influenced greatly by the Ditko look, and created with all colored pencil. Just to see what I could do:

Independent artists: The Warning, Out With Dad, and Apama

I was watching the recent TedX appearance by my favorite "new" band, The Warning, and the comments of the members had me thinking about independent artists. That is, creative people who do not take their talents to big businesses but rather decide to disperse their craft themselves.

The Warning is a band I discussed here. They are, in brief 3 sisters from Mexico ranging in age from 12-17 who have produced their own album without a record label.  They got a lot of attention from videos of their playing cover songs on YouTube, and they've used this attention to fund their own album of original material. They discussed at TedX that they had offers from people to help them, but they decided to go their own way. Why? For art's sake!  For the opportunity to do what they really want to do musically and not have to conform to someone else's standards. And I could see how some hotshot producer would want to come in and "help" them succeed. In  my imagination someone would totally want to pull a "Johnny Bravo", as in the old episode of the Brady Bunch, putting the emphasis on style over substance and one member over the group. So bravo to these girls whose wisdom is well beyond their years for staying true to their hearts and their art!

And if you don't believe they have wisdom beyond their years, check out the music. Amazing compositions and lyrics! I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the album. Which is, amazingly, going to be available of CD and Vinyl!  Vinyl!!  Again...wisdom beyond their years!

Switching to the realm of film, I am, of course, a huge fan the Canadian drama Out With Dad. This series, about a young girl discovering her sexuality while interacting with her widowed father and friends, touches on some important issues and never fails to make me think. Out With Dad is filming its fifth season as an independent production. Though there's more money available in network television, I think OWD benefits from being controlled totally by its creator, Jason Leaver. This show is his vision and I wouldn't want to see it trampled on by corporate hacks wanting to maximize profit.

Finally, comics is the reason I started this blog, so I must discuss my favorite independent comic. Though I cut my teeth on mainstream superhero titles, I have a special appreciation and love for independent comics, because these are artists doing totally what they want to do, with  no restrictions from a large company. Most independent comics I read are small-press creators who are not well-known (or well-paid) artists. But even when a big name creator does an independent comic, I think there's something special about it. Kurt Busiek's Astro City and John Byrne's Next Men immediately come to mind.

My favorite current independent comic is, without a doubt, Apama- the Undiscovered Animal. Apama, created by Ted Sikora abd Milo Miller, is about a hero with the powers of a forgotten beast. The most ferocious animal of them all, the Apama!  The action takes place in Cleveland, which is also a plus! Apama has all the characteristics of the comics that made me fall in love with comics so many years ago, but it's not just a nostalgic feel. The tale is exciting and the art is absolutely fantastic!

In conclusion, I can only reiterate how special it is to see an artist, in any medium, create something out of love for the art. And if such a thing is also something that is enjoyed by many others, that's just the icing on the cake!  If you are a fan of any of the above, I hope you check at least on of the other out. Because independent work should be celebrated in any art form!

Review: "Counselling Vanessa 52" OWD 4.17 & "Without Regret?" OWD 4.18

Today I continue my look at season 4 of the webseries Out With Dad. Episode 4.17 returns our story to Vanessa's counselling sessions, and she looks to be feeling much better about herself. She talks of the assault by Kyle in the flop house, and how it made her feel scared and stupid. She mentions Kayla but doesn't go into details about their physical encounter. The counsellor convinces Vanessa she did the nest she could in the situation. I think this is important, as there is a lot of "Monday morning quarterbacking" when you've made some bad decisions. It's easier to determine alternatives after the fact, but hard to come up with them on the spot.

Vanessa seems to be healing well, and I'll add that Lindsey Middleton is just about perfect as always in these counselling episodes. It's really just her, acting with her expressions and voice, and going through a whole gamut of emotions, and it's amazing as well as sad to watch.

Now, as for "Without Regret", episode 4.18. Well....we have Out With Dad's first sex scene. And honestly, I'm not sure how comfortable I am discussing this. But it is handled with grace and humor by (writer/director) Jason and (Rose and Claire) Kate and Caitlynne. But it is a dream come true for the characters and many fans. After discussing polyamory, we switch scenes to Rose finding out her dad has (probably) had sex also (yes kids, old people can do it too). Then we segue into "Freindsgiving" preparation and a surprise appearance by...Vanessa! Two! That is, "shaved-head" Vanessa, and Rose's current love interest. Rose, surprisingly (to me anyway) jumps at the chance to spend time with Vanessa II.

Okay, this episode is funny, charming, and propels the story forward in some pretty big ways. It also leaves you wanting more! And I just love the little in-jokes, that those who haven't followed the extra creator comments might not understand. I speak of Alicia's never-seen boyfriend and some people not liking musicals. Me, I'd love to live in a musical.

And I love this series. Still going strong!

Movie Review: Civil War (Captain America)

I finally got around to watching Captain America's 3rd Marvel Movie installment, subtitled "Civil War" after hearing it praised a lot since its release last year. Here's my take:

The bad:

1- Captain America? This is the least "Captain America" if the movies featuring Steve Rogers. It's really much more of an Avengers movie, with a slight focus on Cap. It does a little bit of furthering along of Steve's private life, with the death of Peggy Carter and Steve finally, sort of, getting together with the pretty girl we all knew was Sharon Carter. But even this seemed rushed. The bulk of the character arc for Cap is his unyielding support of childhood friend Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier.

2- Villain? The villain's plot in this movie is ludicrous! Obviously framing Bucky, leading to harsh controls of the governments over the Avengers, leading to Captain America and Iron Man in a big fight. There's just no way the villain could have known the consequences of his actions, and the final confrontation is way too convenient! Plus, they waste a great comic character name: Zemo. Instead of a great Baron and Nazi leader, he's some ex-military man with no means whatsoever to pull off his plan.

3- Civil War? I didn't read the comics, and though hero-vs-hero conflict has been a Marvel staple, making it into the main conflict of a movie is not a great idea. They'd be better off bringing in the Masters of Evil or some other great villain. The hero conflict in Avengers was about perfect, we don't need more.

The good:

1- Vision and Scarlet Witch!  The development of these characters, their conflict and obvious attraction, is the most interesting sub=plot of the movie. It's far more interesting than anything that happens with the main character (see above).

2- Spider-Man! Though not much of an intro, the reboot Spidey shows a ton of promise. The only bad thing I have to say is the repeated references to how hot his Aunt is (She IS, of course, but I noticed without being told. Marisa Tomei--call me and we can discuss this in-depth!)

3- Black Panther! Just a totally awesome introduction. It's all great, nothing bad here at all!

4- Characters! The character arcs for everyone else were also very well done. even folks like Hawkeye who don't appear much. Gi-Ant-Man is probably my favorite.

I'd rate this a very average Marvel movie, Not as good as the other Captain America movies, Iron Man I, or Avengers I. But definitely worth seeing.