Panel Vision - Old Man Logan

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So, by now Logan is looking to be on track to be the biggest superhero hit of the season and the latest genuine home run for Fox’s X-Men franchise since last year’s Deadpool.  That makes sense- the film looks incredibly well conceived with a lot of excellent elements, and it’s basically just the most recent iteration of the trend of Mark Millar comics getting amazing adaptations.  

If you’re not aware of him, Mark Millar is a Scottish comics author whose been a major staple of the comic scene for the better part of the 2000s.  Millar’s one of the co-creators of Marvel’s very successful Ultimate Universe, which helped inspire the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and wrote the comics that gave us Wanted, Kick-Ass 1 & 2, Kingsmen: The Secret Service, and Captain America: Civil War. 

The one wrinkle about this success is that virtually all of those films changed a ton from the source material because the original comics aren’t really that great.  I already dedicated a whole article to how bad the original Civil War books are, and I could easily do the same for the rest.  You can already see that with Logan as it’s clearly shed nearly everything from Old Man Logan save for the old Wolverine concept.  However, this case is a bit of an exception because Old Man Logan is a great comic. 

Filmland - 8 Heroes Who Deserve the LEGO Treatment

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So, it’s now safe to assume that the LEGO Batman movie is a bona fide smash hit.  The animated spin-off to 2014’s breakout LEGO Movie has taken the world by storm with its brilliant, bighting, and irreverent parody of the brooding dark knight detective.  Coupled with a superb voice work from the rest of the cast and a script that gives us a shockingly fresh take on Batman by emphasizing the Bat Family as his strongest component, LEGO Batman has woken the world up to a whole new kind of superhero blockbuster.  

Given that Marvel is still the only name in the game producing quality superhero content I welcome our new world of animated, LEGO, superheroes, especially for beleaguered DC Comics who have yet to make a good live action superhero film during the 2010s.  Given that success and the innumerable mishandled or unattemptable superhero properties clogging up the pop cultural drain, I’ve come up with my list of 8 superhero franchises that deserve the LEGO treatment. 

Logan News Update

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With about a month left till the premiere of Logan AKA Wolverine 3, now is probably a good time to look over everything we’ve learned about the latest entry in the X-Men franchise.  I’ve made no secret of the fact I don’t really care for Fox’s X-Men film series.  

I was never as into the X-Men and X-Men United as much as others in my age bracket, and I flat out hated Days of Future Past, and while Deadpool and First Class were good, they feel like exceptions rather than rules. 

However, all of my hesitation has gone right out the damn window in the lead up to Logan, which promises the most dark, grounded, and patently human entry in the entire X-Men film canon, possibly the whole canon overall if we're honest.  

It looks like a small, dirty, complicated R-rated flick that’s drawing the best elements from across the franchise’s history to create something entirely new and exciting while also paving the way for future possibilities. 

Static Thoughts - 8 Possible Defenders Villains

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One of the most impressive things about Marvel is how well they’ve managed to colonize so many different forms of media successfully.  After successfully establishing themselves as the cinematic guardians of pop culture they’ve now moved on to be the best and most ambitious thing on Netflix.  

Sure, Daredevil might be flawed by Jessica Jones is the best superhero show we’ve yet seen and Luke Cage is shaping up to be the black superhero fantasy we’ve needed for two years now, at least. 

All of this is leading up to The Defenders series next year, which will see a crossover of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and the upcoming Iron Fist series.  So far the villain of Defenders has been pretty clearly the Hand, the magic ninja clan from Daredevil but recently Vincent D’Onofrio made statements that his villain Kingpin might return for Defenders.  Given this and how many loose threads tie through the MCU I’ve compiled a list of 8 possible villains we could see in The Defenders.

New Thor: Ragnarok Set Photos May Reveal Where Asgard's Royalty Ends Up

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Edited by Robert Beach

As we continue our slow rumble towards Thor: Ragnarok, the film has begun to take shape as one of the most eclectic and ambitious Marvel projects to date. That’s unquestionably a good thing given one of Marvel’s biggest problems is that they’re so producer driven and tightly controlled their films can end up a little formulaic and distant; it's a problem that befell Thor: Dark World. Thankfully, Ragnarok sounds like a bizarre mix of science fantasy, high-flying adventure, and sci-fi hooliganism that has the same broad scope of Dark World without the compromised story structure. 

So far, we know the film will revolve around the mythical Norse apocalypse and feature Cate Blanchett as the villainous Hela, Goddess of Death. We also know that the Machiavellian schemer and Elder of the Universe, the Grandmaster, will be at hand. Played by Jeff Goldblum, Grandmaster, assumedly, is behind turning the Hulk into a sword-and-planet style gladiator. Now, thanks to a new slew of set photos, we see the Thunder God will also be stopping over in Midgard in this new adaptation and is bringing some old friends and possible cameos with him.

Film Land - How Do You Solve a Problem Like Thor?

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Edited by Robert Beach

I have a lot of tangents that develop as I do these articles, and one of the most prominent ones has become “how do you solve a problem like Thor?” It’s a question that’s hung around Marvel’s neck like a dead weight ever since 2013 when Thor: The Dark World’s derailment came to a crushing finale. Thor's mighty sequel hammer lost to Hunger Games: Catching Fire at the box office. 

Overall, it’s easy to see how Thor ended up on the fringes of Marvel’s slate. The first Thor was a refreshing and fun fantasy comedy. It served as the world’s introduction to Marvel’s cosmic mythology and acted as the most child-friendly Marvel superhero production. 

Since then, Guardians of the Galaxy has come in as the new face of Marvel cosmic, and the Studio has reclaimed (Editor's Note: joint custody) the rights to Spider-Man to make it their kid-friendly franchise. Even Thor’s possible role as a mystics and magic franchise is teetering now that Dr. Strange and Iron Fist are on the way.  

It also doesn’t help that Chris Hemsworth has proved himself the least versatile of the main Marvel actors. With all that looming overhead, I still ask "how do you solve a problem like Thor?" And the answer from Thor: Ragnarok seems to be this: just make it a Hulk movie. 

Static Thoughts - History of Spider-Man TV Shows

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In case you’re unaware, today marks the fourth season finale of Marvel’s ongoing Ultimate Spider-Man animated series.  The show is one of four ongoing Marvel animated productions running through their Disney connection alongside Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Hulk & the Agents of SMASH, and Guardians of the Galaxy.  

The show has become pretty widely popular with kids, introducing a wide supporting cast of Marvel mainstays while also blending its elements with the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while also featuring great comic shout outs, like the debut of fan favorite Miles Morales as played by Donald Glover.  We’ll see if it persists now that Marvel has an onscreen Spider-Man as well but for now, I figured we could celebrate with a look back at Spider-Man’s long, storied history on television as Marvel’s #1 franchise. 

Panel Vision - Canadian Superheroes Guide

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For those who don’t know, this Friday is Canada Day, the day America’s lovable northern neighbors celebrate their nation’s founding.  I’ve elected to celebrate this most auspicious holiday early with a look at the various superheroes of Canada that have come out of Marvel Comics.  I’m focusing solely on Marvel for this guide because there really aren’t any Canadian superheroes in the DC roster.  

If they do exist, and I’m not sure they do, they haven’t been represented in any of the major international superhero groups like the Global Guardians or Batman Inc., which most likely means they’re a one-off character like Louisiana’s “King Billy” superhero.  Marvel, on the other hand, has an entire team of Canadian heroes with a vast and expanding roster.  So let’s take a look at proud protectors to the North with your guide to Canadian superheroes. 

Panel Vision - Iron Man Armor Guide

So, Civil War was a big hit, a monster hit if we’re being blatantly honest with each other.  Given that I’m going to be writing post-Civil War articles for a while now and this is one of them.  As all the trailers and posters probably gave away Iron Man is a big part of the film so it’s about time I actually started talking about him on this blog.  What’s always been weird about Iron Man as a hero is that he was never all that popular prior to 2008.  Oh, he was around but he was a lot like Green Lantern, a C-list hero that came out consistently without ever being a “must read” comic. 

The only thing that kept Iron Man in the nerd consciousness was the awesome multitude of armor designs his character generated.  As such, this Comics Rainbow isn’t going to be about periods in Tony Stark’s life and history as a character but rather the different designs of his armor.  The only limit is that the armors have to be something of continuous substance rather than one-offs or cult favorites so don’t expect any stealth suits or arctic exploration mechs.  With that said, let’s get the full spectrum on the armors of Iron Man. 

Cover Story - Top 12 Inhumans Covers

This coming week will see the return of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, the little TV show that nobody believed in, every one thought would fail, and then did exactly that.  Seriously, despite some moderately decent word of mouth over season 2 Agents of SHIELD has done little more than jog in place for 2.5 season while occupying the least interesting space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Maybe that’ll turn around this coming half season but I seriously doubt. 

Regardless, we’re not here to talk about Agents of SHIELD but rather the major chunk of Marvel IP they’ve elected to squat on top of: the Inhumans.  I’ve already pretty thoroughly explored the Inhumans in previous articles so today isn’t going to cover much of their history of character make-up but simply the history of great art that has informed the group since its inception at the hands of all-time comic great Jack Kirby.  So, let’s dive into the shallow end and get the cover story on the Inhumans.

Comics Rainbow - Hulk

This past week saw the launch of the Totally Awesome Hulk.  This new iteration of Marvel’s Gamma powered behemoth will be a departure from mainstay Bruce Banner for his previous supporting character Amadeus Cho.  Switching up the Hulk’s mechanics and identity are hardly new, I’ve already burned through the incredibly massive list of gamma powered beings in the Marvel universe in case you need proof of that, but the Hulk himself has gone through a ton of variations as well.  Most folks know about the Gray Hulk but there are so many other insane and bizarre alterations to the Hulk’s history it’d be a shame not to showcase just how ridiculous Marvel got with this character, in all their shades, shames, and successes. 

Hulk & Valkyrie to co-star in Thor: Ragnarok

Edited by Robert Beach

One of the biggest problems facing Marvel’s Phase 3 slate is what to do with the Thor franchise. Thor was one of the bigger hits of phase one, both financially and achievement wise. It was the first film to cement the idea Marvel could integrate the truly out-there and bizarre aspects of its comic continuity to the big screen; however, when Thor: The Dark World rolled around in 2013, things took a decidedly sour turn.  The film is the lowest-grossing Marvel sequel to date and thoroughly failed to find real engagement from audiences.  

Thor in phase 1 had firmly carried the banner of Marvel merchandising and Marvel cosmic weirdness, but now at the close of phase 2, Thor toys have been a bit of a non-starter and Marvel’s much more successful Guardians of the Galaxy now carries the banner of cosmic weirdness. Given all this, it’s not surprising that Marvel is walking on eggshells about the upcoming third Thor film: Thor: Ragnarok.  The title alone promises major shake-ups to come for the God of Thunder along with heavy ties to the ongoing Thanos saga leading up to Avengers: Infinity War.  Now Marvel has made their concerns about the film even clearer by officially adding The Hulk and Valkyrie as additional main characters.

10 Marvel Superheroes to Fill in the 3 New Mysterious Marvel Films in 2020

Edited by Robert Beach

In case you haven’t heard, Marvel has made a major announcement. After making a bundle of cash at the box office (more than Captain America: The First Avenger incidentally), Ant-Man is officially getting a sequel. This is a big victory lap for Marvel, turning a troubled and public production history on a C-list hero into a financial hit and a real cultural connection with audiences. The sequel, entitled Ant-Man and The Wasp is slotted to come out July 6, 2018. This has lead to some pretty major shake-ups. 

Black Panther will now be released in February 2018 to coincide with Black History Month and Captain Marvel has been pushed back yet again, this time to 2019. Though I’m glad we’re getting more Ant-Man because I was a big fan of the first film, I don’t think it was really worth the price. Captain Marvel is getting so continually delayed it only feels like a matter of time before Marvel delays it into oblivion, and I certainly don’t like that Ant-Man 2’s title frames Wasp as his sidekick. 

I don’t want to judge too quickly too soon. Marvel still has 3 years to hammer Ant-Man 2 into something great, and it’s possible Wasp will get to take more of the center stage she deserves in this follow up. The Marvel announcement also came with the date of 3 new, unnamed Marvel releases: May 1, July 10, and November 6 all in the year 2020. This mysterious update is what we’ll be discussing today. It’s time for some wild speculation with 10 guesses on Marvel’s secret projects.

Panel Vision - Gamma Guide: Marvel's Other Incredible Hulks

Edited by Robert Beach

This is a good time to be the Hulk. Mark Ruffalo’s version of the character is the most popular the character’s ever been in the public eye; we’re getting a new, diverse Hulk in the comics, and the major rumor is the Red Hulk will be coming to the Marvel cinematic universe in Captain America: Civil War. 

Additionally, with the major executive change-ups at Marvel Studios, there’s more chance now than ever before that we’ll see Hulk in his own movie. At the very least, we will see some more interesting spaces like possibly Dr. Strange or Guardians of the Galaxy. Given the mushrooming popularity of the Hulk, and the fact his expanded roster of characters is finally starting to garner some recognition, I thought I’d put together this Gamma Guide looking at all the other gamma irradiated heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe.

Panel Vision - Best Art of Dale Eaglesham

Edited by Robert Beach 

Dale Eaglesham is an amazing comic book artist who’s been working in the industry for over 25 years. His artwork is wonderfully dynamic, combining an idealized depiction of the human form with realistic proportions and larger than life physicality; however, despite his incredible work, he’s still tends to slip under a lot of people’s radar. 

I first became aware of his work during his run on Justice Society of America with Geoff Johns and have remained a fan ever since, so the lack of enthusiasm and knowledge for his work has always irked me. I’m devoting a whole panel vision to the 16 best pages of Dale Eagelsham art I was able to find through my own experience and Google investigations.  

Panel Vision - Top 12 Comics That Should Be Shows

Edited by Robert Beach

As we enter the dog days of the summer season, the ramp up is getting started for all the fall series dramas, which translates to “A ton of superhero and comic book shows.” This fall alone we’ll be seeing Flash, Arrow, Walking Dead, Gotham, Supergirl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Jessica Jones. All of that is before Lucifer, Preacher, Agent Carter, and Legends of Tomorrow kick up in the winter. With Krypton, Teen Titans, Static Shock, and #4Hero still in the development cycle, I’d expect plenty more superheroes on TV before we see non-superhero adaptations like Southern Bastards or Sex Criminals. As such, I thought I’d get in on the act by taking a look at the top 12 comics that should be TV shows.

Static Thoughts - Logan's Run 1977

So Logan’s Run was briefly in the news over the weekend when a forgotten planned reboot of the film got new life with the announcement of an actual director attached to the project.  For the most part it isn’t that surprising the Logan’s Run reboot has languished in movie limbo for as long as it has.  The ‘80s work as farm for reboots and remakes because of the unmitigated amount of creativity and cash in the blockbuster scene and the corporate dominated consciousness of animation at the time.  Conversely viable ‘90s reboot properties may be more limited but they’re also more lucrative due to the growing trend of ‘90s nostalgia.

 The ‘70s is much more of a fallow period for rebootable material.  A lot of the stand out pieces of ‘70s cultural were incredibly driven by the auteurship of their maker like The Godfather, Taxi Driver, or The French Connection.  Alternatively projects like Jaws, The Exorcist, or Dirty Harry have become so engrained as classics of their genre a remake would come off as tired and uninspired like 2013’s ill-advised Carrie rehash.  There are some exceptions to this like the upcoming Creed film that looks to reboot/continue the Rocky story and I think Logan’s Run could be such an exception, not because of the film though, but because of the TV show. 

Panel Vision - 10 Marvel Women Who Deserve a Solo Movie

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about Marvel’s representation of women in their films.  Though a lot of this has stemmed from Ant-Man’s portrayal of Hope van Dyne and the Wasp it overall has more to do with Marvel Studio’s infinitely too dismissive and uninvolved attitude towards female superheroes.  Given that I’m very much of the opinion that we definitely do need more female superheroes and it’s kind of supremely ludicrous that it’ll take Marvel 10 years to give us a superhero film where the hero is a woman I thought up a list of 10 Marvel super heroes who need a movie of their own. 

Fantastic Four/X-Men Crossover Coming?

So in a recent interview X-Men director Bryan Singer stated that some of the early machinery is currently working to develop an X-Men/Fantastic Four crossover film for Fox.  This has probably been in the works at Fox for way longer than anyone’s willing to admit.  Fox has basically been rendered the odd middle child of superhero films now that Sony has caved to Marvel in the wake of their amazingly embarrassing 2014.  This has put Fox into something of an awkward position as they actually aren’t that interested in making superhero films.  They certainly do it but ever since Wolver Origins Fox has been keeping their superhero work at arms length. 

X-Men: First Class was a quick and dirty job meant basically just to keep the rights to the X-Men away from Marvel and the same is true of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie.  It’s only recently with Days of Future Past that Fox seems at all invested in producing a superhero flick and even then it’s just because Avengers came out in the interim and Fox suddenly realized big budget superhero crossover romps could make mondo bucks once more.  That’s why they actually hired Mark Millar to develop a shared Fox universe around the time Days of Future Past came out and blew up theaters. 

Panel Vision - Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect

Hello, my name is Lido, and I like ‘90s comics.  Now on the off chance you’re just some random citizen who knows nothing of comic book history that’s actually kind of a big thing to admit in the realms of comic fandom.  The generally accepted wisdom of comic books is that the ‘90s sucked for comics as a result of things like an emphasis on dark yet empty stories in the wake of books like Dark Knight Returns, the speculator bubble, and the rise of superstar artists and Image comics. 

However, I’m not here to explain why ‘90s comics suck, I’m here to talk about all the amazingly good ‘90s comics I think we’ve come to overlook while snarking about Youngblood or the Clone Saga.  The ‘90s comic that doesn't suck I’m focusing on today has actually returned to the public consciousness in recent times as part of the big push of ‘90s nostalgia gripping both DC and Marvel.  I’m referring to Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect, a 2-part prestige graphic novel by Peter David and George Perez from 1992/1993.