Showing posts with label Movie News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie News. Show all posts

Friday, February 16, 2024

#IReadsYou Movie Review: MADAME WEB

Madame Web (2024)

Running time:  117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for violence/action and language
DIRECTOR:  S.J. Clarkson
WRITERS:  Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Claire Parker & S.J. Clarkson; from a story by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Kerem Sanga (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCER:  Lorenzo di Bonaventura
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Leigh Folsom Boyd
COMPOSER:  Johan Soderqvist

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HORROR/ACTION

Starring:  Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, Adam Scott, Emma Roberts, Kerry Bishé, Zosia Mamet, José María Yazpik, and Mike Epps

Madame Web is a 2024 superhero fantasy, horror, and action film directed by S.J. Clarkson.  The movie is based on the Marvel Comics character, Madame Webb/Cassandra Webb, that was created by writer Denny O'Neil and artist John Romita Jr. and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #210 (cover dated: November 1980).  This is also the fourth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” (SSU) series.  Madame Web the movie focuses on a NYC paramedic who starts having visions of a shadowy figure hunting three young women.

Madame Web opens in 1973 in the jungles of Peru.  There, scientist Constance Webb (Kerry Bishe) searches for a rare spider deep in the Amazon.  At her side is her assistant, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who has plans of his own.  They are also surrounded by legends and rumors of “Las Arañas,” a secret Peruvian tribe in which its members have spider powers.  In the end, discovery leads to betrayal, death, and birth.

Thirty years later, New York City, 2003, Constance's daughter, Cassandra “Cassie” Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a paramedic.  An accident causes Cassie to start having strange visions, which she comes to believe are clairvoyant.  These visions of the future feature three young women:  Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor) being hunted by a mysterious figure.  This man wears a costume; he has enhanced strength and speed; and he can crawl on walls and ceilings like a spider.  Forced to confront her past and her psychic abilities, Cassie must safeguard these three young women before this deadly adversary murders them.

Madame Web is fourth film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe following Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), and Morbius (2022).  In my estimation, dear readers, Madame Webb is the second best of the quartet behind only the original Venom.

In fact, Madame Webb isn't the “worst film ever,” “absolutely horrible,” or any of the over-the-top things haters and trolls are saying on social media.  It isn't a great film, but Madame Web is quite entertaining.  However, I have ideas about why this new film is getting so much hate.  One reason is that there is a corner of social media that is dedicated to dissing films that are largely led by women characters.  We saw this in the vitriol and invective directed at the 2016 Ghostbusters film and Marvel Studios' recent target, The Marvels.  There are also some structural and narrative reasons that might irritate some viewers, and in order to talk about them, I will have to give you, dear readers, a...

SPOILERS WARNING:  Madame Web is a hybrid of superheroes, dark fantasy, horror, action, and mysticism.  On the superhero end, only the adversary trying to kill the three young women wears a costume.  Sometime in the future of Madame Web's timeline, Julia Cornwall, Anya Corazon, and Mattie Franklin will each be a version of the hero, Spider-Woman, but now they are not.  We only see them in their respective costumes in Cassie's visions of the future.  Still, in the main body of the story, each actress plays her respective character as if she takes her role seriously.  The trio is fun and rebellious, and their energy makes this film hop when it starts to drag.

On the action end, Madame Web has car chases and crashes and eye-crossing fights.  The film's mystical angle comes across as a bit hokey, especially when Cassie talks about her powers.  However, when Cassie's visions kick-in, they are trippy, confusing, and disorienting; they come and go in so many alternate versions with horror movie intensity.

Madame Web certainly could have been a better film had the main male characters had more development.  Screen time isn't the issue.  Adam Scott's Ben Parker, to whom you should pay attention, is more errand boy than friend, and the bad guy often comes across as a stock villain.

That said Madame Web is an entertaining film, and Dakota Johnson is good as Cassie Webb, considering neither her character nor this film in general has the benefit of a strong screenplay.  Madame Webb is a slightly above-average comic book movie, and it should entertain most fans of superhero movies... except those with culture war agendas.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, November 10, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: THE MARVELS

The Marvels (2023)

Running time:  105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action/violence and brief language
DIRECTOR:  Nia DaCosta
WRITERS:  Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Sean Bobbitt (BSC)
EDITORS:  Catrin Hedström and Evan Schiff
COMPOSER:  Laura Karpman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION with elements of comedy

Starring:  Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park See-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Leila Farzad, Abraham Popoola, Lashana Lynch, and Samuel L. Jackson, Tessa Thompson, Hailee Steinfeld, and Kelsey Grammer

The Marvels is a 2023 superhero film directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is the 33rd entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is also a direct sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel.  The Marvels is also a continuation of the Disney+/Marvel Studios television miniseries, "Ms. Marvel" (2022).

The film is headlined by the Marvel Comics character, Carol Danvers, who first appeared in the comic book, Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (cover dated: March 1968), and who later became Captain Marvel.  In The Marvels, Captain Marvel gets her powers entangled with two other similarly-powered individuals, forcing the trio to work together to save the universe.

The Marvels opens with a focus on Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire.  The collapse of the empire's “Supreme Intelligence” leads to a civil war among the Kree on their home world of Hala.  The result is that the planet is becoming barren as it loses its natural resources and its sun is rapidly going dark.  Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), the new leader of the Kree, retrieves one of two “Quantum Bands.”  She hopes to harness its power and to pair it with her staff, “the Universal Weapon,” as part of her scheme to save Hala.

On Earth, specifically in a home in Jersey City, New Jersey, teenager Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who is also the superhero, “Ms. Marvel,” is dealing with teenage and family issues.  Kamala also happens to possess the other half of the Quantum Bands.

Meanwhile, above the Earth, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), now residing at the S.A.B.E.R. space station, has detected a “jump point” (which allows for hyperspace travel) anomaly caused by Dar-Benn.  Nick Fury calls in Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), an astronaut who has the ability to manipulate all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, to investigate the jump point anomaly near S.A.B.E.R.

When Monica touches the jump point at the same time as Captain Marvel, it causes a reaction in which Monica, Carol, and Kamala switch places through teleportation.  Now, this reaction brings the three young women together in order to stop Dar-Benn from destroying several worlds in order to save her home world, Hala.  And Kamala thinks that she, Carol, and Monica can best do this as a team, a super-team she names “The Marvels.

In addition to being a sequel to the 2019 film, Captain Marvel, and being a continuation of the Ms. Marvel TV series, The Marvels includes story elements that appear in the Disney+ Marvel Studios miniseries, “WandaVision” (2021) and “Secret Invasion” (2023).  There are also elements from Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).  At this point, I wonder if watching Marvel movies means having to be familiar with what has happened in too many previous films and television series.  There is also a scene that runs in the middle of the end credits that references other movies based on Marvel Comics characters.

Still, I love The Marvels.  I have not subscribed to Disney+, and I only saw the fifth and sixth episodes of the Ms. Marvels miniseries when it was aired on the ABC broadcast network in early September (2023).  I love The Marvels because I can figure out what is going on without having seen everything else it references.  If I really want to know more, I can read Wikipedia summaries of the Disney+ series that I have not seen.

The Marvels is marvelously enjoyable.  It is a science fiction adventure comedy that makes a comedy of physical errors out of every fight.  It's more like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017) than it is like any other Marvel film.  Director Nia DaCosta and her co-writers take time to develop the relationship between Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel.  Also, giving so much time to Kamala family:  her mother, Muneeba Khan (Zenobia Shroff); her father, Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur); and her older brother, Aamir Khan (Saagar Shaikh), gives the film a human element that keeps the sci-fi, outer space weirdness of The Marvels from entirely taking over the narrative.  Yes, the plot is a bit scattershot, but The Marvels is kinetic and packs a lot energy in its fight and action scenes.

The Marvels also gives us a lighter, funnier side of Nick Fury, and, the delights of Goose, the cat-like “Flerken” alien is multiplied this time.  Dar-Benn turns out to be one of the more ruthless and interesting of the MCU's recent villains.  And if that isn't enough, The Marvels has one of the MCU's best (if not the best) extra credit scenes.  The Marvels is refreshingly short, and while it is more loose than cohesive, it does remind me of one thing.  Every trip to the world of Marvel Studios' films is an out of this world experience.

[The film includes one extra-credits scenes that takes place during the middle of the credits (mid-credits).]

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, November 10, 2023


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Thursday, October 26, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Kaze no Tani no Naushika – original Japanese title
Running time:  117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG for violence
DIRECTOR:  Hayao Miyazaki
WRITER:  Hayao Miyazaki (based upon the manga by Hayao Miyazaki)
PRODUCER:  Isao Takahata
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Yasuhiro Shimizu, Koji Shiragami, Yukitomo Shudo, and Mamoru Sugiura
EDITORS: Naoki Kaneko, Tomoko Kida, and Shoji Saka
COMPOSER:  Joe Hisaishi

ANIMATION/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  (voices) Sumi Shimamoto, Goro Naya, Ichiro Nagai, Hisako Kyoda, Yoji Matsuda, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Iemasa Kayumi, Kohei Miyauchi, Joji Yanami, Minoru Yada, Mina Tominaga, Mahito Tsujimura, and Rihoko Yoshida

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 Japanese animated, post-apocalyptic, fantasy film from director Hayao Miyazaki.  The film is based on Miyazaki's manga (Japanese comic), also titled Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which first began publication in 1982.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind the movie focuses on a princess who is both warrior and pacifist and her desperate struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and her homeland.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind opens one thousand years after the event known as “the Seven Days of Fire.”  It was an apocalyptic war that destroyed civilization and caused an ecological collapse, creating something called “the Sea of Decay.”  This is a poisonous forest of fungal life and plants that swarm with giant mutant insects, the largest and most dangerous being the the trilobite-like and armored “Ohm.”  The poison from the plants can kill humans, and every day, the Sea of Decay spreads, encroaching on what little open land remains.

Nausicaä (Sumi Shimamoto) is a teenage warrior and princess of the Valley of the Wind, a land that has remained, thus far, free of the Sea of Decay.  Riding the wind and sky in a powered glider, Nausicaä explores the jungles of the Sea of Decay and communicates with its creatures.  That is how she is reunited with the explorer and great swordsman, Lord Yupa Miralda (Goro Naya), who has returned to meet with Nausicaä's father, Jihl (Mahito Tsujimura), the King of the Valley of the Wind.

But tragedy strikes.  The Valley of the Wind is soon at the epicenter of two warring nations, the Kingdom of Tolmekia and PejitePrincess Kushana (Yoshiko Sakakibara) has led the Tolmekian Frontier Forces into the Valley.  Thus, Nausicaä must forge a relationship with Prince Asbel of Pejite (Yoji Matsuda), but there is something worse than two warring nations.  Destruction is headed towards the Valley of the Wind, and it will take all of Nausicaä's talents, skills, and tricks to save her home.

I have previously reviewed the following Miyazaki-directed films:  The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013).  As Netflix is shutting down its DVD-by-mail division, I am hoping to get to the Miyazaki films that I have not previously watched.

Apparently, the work of the legendary French comic book creator, Jean “Moebius” Giraud (1938-2012), influenced Miyazaki in the creation of his manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.  The influence of Moebius remains with Miyazaki's film adaptation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.  I also see the influence of the famed animation director, Ralph Bakshi, especially of his 1977 fantasy film, Wizards.  J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels (1954-55) are clearly influences, and Frank Herbert's famed science fiction novel, Dune (1965), is also an influence.  In fact, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind the film would arrive in theaters almost nine months before the first film adaption of Herbert's novel, director David Lynch's 1984 film, Dune.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a beautifully and practically designed film in the sense that the environments have both a sense of naturalism and realism to them while the insects are fantastical creations that seem more practical than impractical because they are based on real insects.  This makes the world of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind seem like a credible future world or at least genuine post-apocalyptic future.  Yes, Nausicaä's glider is impractical, but the animation gives it such beauty in motion that I believe in it and I believe in the way Nausicaä flies it.

The film's plot and subplots are strongly environmental and ecological and the conflict is a series of familiar tribal tropes.  However, what carries plot and narrative are the inventive and engaging characters.  Every players, regardless of the size of his or her role, is inviting and intriguing.  Yes, Nausicaä is a star born, a heroine out of fairy tale, folklore, and mythology who captures hearts and holds our imaginations captive.  Still, the denizens of the Valley and the feuding and conniving citizens of Tolmekia and Pejite are a delightful bunch, not good and evil, so much as they are selfish, but likable, each in his or her own way.  The legendary Yupa, like Nausicaä, stands as a typical heroic figure, although he stands behind Nausicaä.

A long time ago, I told a fellow Miyazaki fan that Spirited Away was my favorite of the director's films.  He insisted that I see Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.  Now, I'm not so sure which is my favorite.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is like no other animated feature film, and I certainly consider it one of the greatest that I have ever seen.

10 of 10

Thursday, August 10, 2023


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, September 8, 2023

Titan Comics Solicitations for November 2023 Have Been Announced

TITAN COMICS NOVEMBER 2023 SOLICITS
(September 2023 PREVIEWS)

COMICS

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #5
Writer(s): Jim Zub 
Artist(s): Doug Braithwaite
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Publisher: Heroic Signatures & Titan Comics
FC, 32pp, $3.99 On sale: November 22, 2023 

A BRAND-NEW CONAN THE BARBARIAN ARC BEGINS! 

WARRIOR. THIEF. PIRATE...

After adventures on the high seas, CONAN returns to shore to find himself haunted by his memories of BELIT, captain of the Tigress and Queen of the Black Coast. Can a high-stakes heist draw out of his tortured past, or will it plunge him deeper into the chaos that has always been waiting for him?

COVER A: MIKE DEODATO JR (SEP230952)
COVER B: PATCH ZIRCHER (CONNECTING COVER) (SEP230953)   
COVER C: REBECCA PUEBLA (SEP230954)  
COVER D: ROBERTO DE LA TORRE (SEP230955)      
COVER E: LIAM SHARP (SEP230956)      
COVER F: BLANK SKETCH VARIANT ($4.99) (SEP230957)

FORGOTTEN RUNES: WIZARD'S CULT #1
Writer(s): Joe Rechtman 
Artist(s): Reilly Brown
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, SC, 32pp, $3.99, On sale: November 22, 2023 

This 10-issue series begins as a seemingly unconnected series of MAGICAL TALES ABOUT POWERFUL WIZARDS, gradually merging into a LEGENDARY SAGA. Who is CHRONOMANCER GEORGE OF DREAMS and what is he trying to tell the reader? Visions of the past, premonitions of the future – or something far more sinister that THREATENS THE VERY FABRIC OF THE RUNIVERSE ITSELF?!

COVER A REILLY BROWN (SEP230965)
COVER B REILLY BROWN (SEP230966)
COVER C IVAN TAO (SEP230967)

SCARLETT COUTURE: THE MUNICH FILE #4 (Of 5)
Writer/Artist: Des Taylor
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, 32pp, $3.99 On sale November 8, 2023

THE COVERT INVESTIGATION GROUP'S MOST DEADLY SPY RETURNS 

Agent Scarlett Carver and her team embark on a THRILLING GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE as they’re thrown into the high stakes world of technological espionage. It soon transpires that the effects of PROJECT STARDUST reach further than anyone had anticipated - there are new threats emerging, and THIS TIME, IT’S PERSONAL.

COVER A: CLAUDIA CARANFA (SEP230981)
COVER B: DES TAYLOR (SEP230982)      
COVER C: PHOTO COVER (SEP230983) 

BLOODBORNE: THE BLEAK DOMINION #3 (of 4)
Writer(s): Cullen Bunn
Artist(s) Piotr Kowalski 
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, 32pp, $3.99 On sale: November 8, 2023

CELEBRATED HORROR COMICS WRITER CULLEN BUNN AND FAN-FAVORITE ARTIST PIOTR KOWALSKI TEAM UP ONCE MORE!

In the plagued city of Yharnam, hunters Gretchen and Abraham search for their missing protégé. Under the blood moon, a scourge of beasts stalk the streets, and anew threat lurks around every corner.

COVER A: MAAN HOUSE (SEP230961)
COVER B: JEFF STOKELY (SEP230962)
COVER C: ARIEF RACHMAD (SEP230963)

ROBOTECH: RICK HUNTER #4 (of 4)
Writer: Brandon Easton
Artist: Simone Ragazzoni
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, 32pp, $3.99 On sale: November 1, 2023

FROM TRANSFORMERS WRITER, BRANDON EASTON AND POWER RANGERS ARTIST, SIMONE RAGAZZONI!

 In the climactic issue, RICK HUNTER and VINCE GRANT finally come face to face with Zeraal, the heroes forced to live through the most devastating day of the First Robotech War all over again! Our heroes will face a devastating secret of the First Robotech War with immense consequences for the future of humanity!

COVER A: JON LAM (SEP230972)
COVER B: KOI TURNBALL & EMILIO LECCE (SEP230973)
COVER C: NAHUEL GREGO (SEP230974)     

ROBOTECH: RICK HUNTER COPIC PACK #1-4
Writer: Brandon Easton
Artist: Simone Ragazzoni
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, 4*32pp, $17.99 On sale: December 27, 2023 

COLLECTS ISSUE #1-4 COPICS – EXCLUSIVE TO THIS PACK! LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!

ISSUE #1: DERRICK CHEW
ISSUE #2: COLM GRIFFIN
ISSUE #3: KOI CARREON 
ISSUE #4: JON LAM 
(SEP230975)

BLADE RUNNER 2039 #5-8 VIRGIN SYD MEAD PACK
Writer(s): Mike Johnson
Artist(s): Andres Guinaldo
Colorist: Marco Lesko
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, 4*32pp, $17.99 On sale: December 22, 2023

COLLECTS SYD MEAD VIRGIN VARIANTS!

LIMITED TO 500 PACKS!

ISSUE #5-8: SYD MEAD (SEP230977)

GRAPHIC NOVELS 

CONAN THE BARBARIAN VOL.1: BOUND IN BLACK STONE
Writer(s): Jim Zub
Artist(s): Roberto De La Torre
Colorist(s): Dean White & Josè Villarubia
Publisher: Heroic Signatures & Titan Comics
FC, SC, 112pp, $17.99 (US), $23.99 (CA), £14.99 (UK), On sale: February 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781787740143

DM EDITION (ARTGERM): $24.99(US), $33.99 (CA), £21.99 (UK),
ISBN: 9781787742338

DM EDITION (MIGNOLA): $24.99(US), $33.99 (CA), £21.99 (UK),
ISBN: 9781787742376

ROBERT E. HOWARD'S LEGENDARY CONAN IS BACK IN A NEW TALE OF BRAVERY AND HEROISM! 

Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary CONAN returns tohis homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will CONAN and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders?

REGULAR: DAN PANOSIAN (SEP230959)  
DM EDITION (ARGERM): STANLEY ‘ARTGERM LAU (SEP230958)
DM EDITION (MIGNOLA): MIKE MIGNOLA (SEP230960)  

RIVERS OF LONDON: HERE BE DRAGONS TP 
Writer(s): James Swallow 
Editors: Ben Aaronoivitch, Andrew Cartmel
Artist(s): José Maria Beroy 
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, SC, 112pp, $17.99 (US), $23.99 (CA), £14.99 (UK), On sale: January 31, 2024
ISBN: 9781787740921

SOME SAY A DANGEROUS MONSTER IS AT LARGE ABOVE THE STREETS OF LONDON. ITS NAME... WYVERN!

After a rash of strange UFO sightings above the capital, a Met Police helicopter night patrol is attacked by a mysterious creature! Wizard in training PETER GRANT and his mentor, THOMAS NIGHTINGALE, the Met’s only sanctioned wizard, takes to the skies to investigate.

COVER ARTIST: JOSÈ BEROY (SEP230976)    

BLADE RUNNER 2039 VOL.2: UPGRADE 
Writer(s): Mike Johnson
Artist(s): Andres Guinaldo
Colorist: Marco Lesko
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, SC, 112pp, $17.99 (US), $23.99 (CA), £14.99 (UK), On sale: February 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781787738454

It’s 2039, and CLEO SELWYN has finally returned to Los Angles to search for her surrogate Replicant mother Isobel, who CLEO believes has been abducted on the orders of NIANDER WALLACE. Believing that Cleo’s DNA holds the secret of Replicant fertility, Wallace has ordered his own personal assistant Replicant, LUV - the first Replicant Blade Runner - to hunt down and return Cleo to him, killing whoever stands in her way.

COVER ARTIST: CLARK BINT (SEP230978)

EXTRAORDINARY ANNIVERSARY EDITION 
Writer(s): V.E Schwab  
Artist(s): Enid Balam  
Publisher: Titan Comics  
FC, HC, 128pp, $29.99 (US), $38.99 (CA), £26.99 (UK) On sale: November 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781787738904

Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E.Schwab, this all-new story is set in the five years between VICIOUS and VENGEFUL.

ExtraOrdinary follows a teenage girl named Charlotte Tills who survives a bus crash and becomes EO--Extraordinary, gaining the ability to see people's deaths in reflective surfaces. But when she looks into her own future, she sees a murder. The man responsible? None other than self-proclaimed hero and notorious EO killer Eli Ever.

COVER ARTIST: NEN CHANG (SEP23098)

MANGA 

THE POETRY RAN VOL.1 
Writer/Artist: Yusuke Osawa 
Publisher: Titan Manga (Titan Comics Imprint)
B&W, SC, 160pp, $12.99 (US) $16.99(CA)/ £9.99 (UK), On sale: December 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781787741645

PERFECT FOR FANS OF ROMANCE, POETRY, AND ACTION! 

Torue is a young bard looking to make a name for herself, when she encounters the monster hunter Ran at a sleepy village. Ran is a ‘child of impurity’ capable of slaying monsters called Karma; taking their evil into himself so it doesn’t pollute the world. Ran is feared and shunned, but always puts his own life on the line to do good, so Torue decides to write a poem about him...

COVER: YUSUKE OSAWA (SEP230969)

ATOM: THE BEGINNING VOL.7
Writer(s): Osamu Tezuka & Masami Yuuki
Artist(s): Tetsuro Kasahara
Publisher: Titan Manga (Titan Comics imprint) 
B&W, SC, 208pp, $12.99 (US), $16.99 (CA), £9.99 (UK)
On sale: January 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781787740044

IT’S TIME FOR AN EPIC FIGHT AT THE WORLD ROBOT BATTLING CHAMPIONSHIP! 

At the first ever World Robot Battling tournament, the entrants compete to be declared the most powerful in the world! U-Ran dominates the competition but when she gets out of control Mars, Six’s eternal rival shows up to calm things down!

COVER: TETSURO KASAHARA (SEP230970)

ALPI: THE SOUL SENDER VOL.2
Writer(s): Rona
Artist(s): Rona
Publisher: Titan Manga (Titan Comics imprint) 
B&W, SC, 160pp, $12.99 (US), $16.99 (CA), £9.99 (UK)
On sale: January 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781787741317

A TALE OF COMING OF AGE, PERFECT FOR FANS OF MAGICAL GIRL MANGA! 

Alpi the Soul Sender continues her adventure with a growing rival with another of her order, as the evil of man begins to twist more spirits into something treacherous...

COVER: TETSURO KASAHARA (SEP230971)

MAGAZINES

STAR TREK EXPLORER #9
Writer(s): Titan Magazines
Publisher: Titan Magazines
FC, SC Magazine, 100pp, $9.99 (US) / $12.99 (CA) / £5.99 (UK) 
On sale: November 15, 2023

CELEBRATING STAR TREK’S FINEST DOCTORS AND CAPTAINS 

PLUS, EXPLORER GOES BEHIND THE SCENES OF STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS.

EXCLUSIVE NEW FICTION, ALL-STAR INTERVIEWS, AND MUCH MORE!

EXCLUSIVE: (SEP230987)
NEWSSTAND: (SEP230988)

BOOKS

STAR WARS INSIDER: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: TALES OF ENLIGHTENMENT 
Publisher: Titan Magazines
FC, HC, 96pp, $19.99 (US) /$25.99 (CA), £14.99 (UK), On sale: December 6, 2023 
ISBN: 9781787741713

A hard cover collection of STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC stories from the pages of STAR WARS INSIDER. 

A collection of tales set centuries before the birth of Anakin Skywalker, featuring Jedi Knights during the era of the glorious High Republic. In addition to six original stories, this collection also includes behind - the - scenes interviews with authors as well as a guide to Phase II of The High Republic publishing initiative, and one bonus story by George Mann.

COVER: TITAN MAGAINES (SEP230986)  

AN ALIENS SEARCH-AND-FIND BOOK: FIND THE XENOMORPH
Writer(s): Kevin Crossley
Artist(s): Kevin Crossley 
Publisher: Titan Books
FC, HC, 40pp, $19.99 (US), $26.99 (CA), £14.99 (UK), On sale: November 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781803362403

THE OFFICIALLY LICENSED SEARCH-AND-FIND PUZZLE BOOK INSPIRED BY THE MOVIE ALIENS.

Features 14 brain-bending search-and-find puzzles that will really test your skills of observation. This beautiful search-and-find book gives fans a new way to interact with the classic movie.

COVER: KEVIN CROSSLEY 

THE ART AND SOUL OF BLADE RUNNER 2049 – REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION
Writer(s): Tanya Lapointe
Publisher: Titan Books 
FC, HC, 240pp, $55.00 (US), $73.00 (CA), £45.00 (UK), On sale: November 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781803362809

THE OFFICIAL AND DEFINITIVE COMPANION BOOK TO DENIS VILLENEUVE'S BLADE RUNNER 2049, REVISED AND ENHANCED THROUGHOUT, FEATURING 20 PAGES OF NEW, ORIGINAL CONTENT. 

An unmissable chronicle of the 2017 sequel to Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER, with unprecedented access to the creative process, now with added pages that include the movie's spoiler scenes.

MARVEL STUDIOS' THE INFINITY SAGA – THE AVENGERS: THE ART OF THE MOVIE
Publisher: Titan Books
FC, HC, 272pp, $40.00 (US), $54.00 (CA), £40.00 (UK), On sale: November 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781803365541

THE OFFICIAL ART BOOK FOR THE MOVIE, MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS 

Packed with epic content, this lavishly illustrated coffee table book takes readers behind the scenes of MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS. Featuring stunning concept art, full-color photographs from the set, as well as the finished film, and excerpts from the script and interviews with the cast and crew.

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Friday, August 18, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: BLUE BEETLE

Blue Beetle (2023)

Running time:  127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, language, and some suggestive references
DIRECTOR:  Angel Manuel Soto
WRITER:  Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (based on characters from DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Zev Foreman and John Rickard
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Pawel Pogorzelski (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Craig Alpert
COMPOSER:  The Haxan Cloak

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/FAMILY

Starring:  Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Damien Alcazar, Adriana Barraza, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Modesto Lacen, and Harvey Guillén, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, and  (voice) Becky G

Blue Beetle is a 2023 superhero and action-fantasy film directed by Ángel Manuel Soto.  The film is based on the DC Comics character, Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes, that was created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner and first appeared in the comic book, Infinite Crisis #3 (cover dated: February 2006).  Blue Beetle the movie focuses on a young man who finds himself chosen to be the symbiotic host of an alien artifact that gives him a suit of armor.

Blue Beetle introduces recent college graduate, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena), who is returning to his hometown of Palmera City.  He receives a warm welcome from his family:  his father, Alberto Reyes (Damian Alcazar); his mother, Rocio Reyes (Elpidia Carrillo); his Nana (Adrian Barraza), his younger sister, Milagro (Belissa Escobedo); and his uncle, Rudy Reyes (George Lopez).  Jaime soon learns that his family will lose their home due to financial difficulties and to Alberto's poor health.  Still, Jaime is optimistic that he will quickly get a job and make enough money for his family.

Some time later, Jaime meets Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), the daughter of Ted Kord, the currently-missing CEO OF Kord Industries.  Jenny is at odds with her aunt, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), the current CEO.  Jenny discovers that Victoria has dark plans for her recent discovery, an alien artifact called “the Scarab.”  Jenny steals the Scarab, and not knowing its true nature, she passes it on to Jaime.
 
As soon as Jaime touches the Scarab, it activates and attaches to him, creating a suit of armor around him.  The suit gives Jaime extraordinary powers, such as flight, super-strength, and invulnerability, but those powers are unpredictable.  Now, Jaime's family calls him a “superhero.”  However, Jaime isn't sure that he wants to be a superhero, and Victoria Kord will do whatever she has to do – including murder – to regain possession of the Scarab.

The Blue Beetle first appeared in Fox Comics' Mystery Men Comics #1 (cover dated: August 1939) and was the secret identity of a young police officer, Dan Garrett.  The second Blue Beetle first appeared in Charlton Comics' Captain Atom #83 (November 1966) and was Ted Kord, an industrialist and owner of KORD Industries.  I mention this because Dan Garrett is referenced in this film.  Also, Ted Kord, with a new origin, is a major subplot in this film, although the story is that he has been missing for years under mysterious circumstances.

However, this is Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes' film.  He comes across as a normal young man in his early twenties.  Warner Bros. didn't even cast some muscular young android-like actor for the role.  Xolo Mariduena's body is in good shape, but he looks more like a high school kid still in physical development.  Everything about Xolo comes across as boy-next-door, which makes him more relatable to a larger segment of the audience.  After all, Jaime seems so vulnerable that even an alien suit of armor doesn't seem capable of completely protecting him.  If there is a superhero of the people – the champion next door – Xolo makes Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle fit the role perfectly.

Like Warner Bros.'s 2019 DC Comics film, Shazam, Blue Beetle emphasizes family, and the Reyes are delightful.  George Lopez's Uncle Rudy is a scene stealer, and I'm glad the story reveals that there is so much more to him than meets the eye.  Of course, one can judge how good a family is by placing it in contrast with a problematic family, and that is the Kords.  Susan Sarandon plays the evil aunt, Victoria Kord, with relish, although she doesn't really go over the top.  The film puts Jenny Kord, smoothly played by actress Bruna Marquezine, at the center of the good family (the Reyes)-bad family (Victoria Kord) dynamic.  Which will Jenny ultimately choose?  Like Shazam, Blue Beetle shows how cool an extended or surrogate family can be, especially to someone in need.

I like what director Angel Manuel Soto does with his collaborators, cast, and crew.  Blue Beetle is an easy-going superhero film that is fun for a family audience, even with the sometimes intense action and dark plot elements.  I'm surprised that the film has as its themes, “imperialism in the name of democracy” and “militarized capitalism,” neither of which are ever portrayed as a good thing.  Uncle Rudy even calls Batman a “fascist,” which has caused a stir in some Internet circles.  This film definitely has an anti-authoritarian streak.

That aside, Blue Beetle is hugely and surprisingly entertaining, and it sparkles with humor.  By focusing on Jaime Reyes as much as it does on the Blue Beetle armor, the film gets to center on the most winning aspect of it story, family and friends.  Blue Beetle won't get the attention of bigger superhero film productions, but it has more heart than most of those other films.

[Blue Beetle has two extra scenes during the end credits.]

B+
★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, August 18, 2023


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, July 28, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: LUPIN III: The Castle of Cagliostro

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro – original Japanese title
Running time:  102 minutes; MPAA – not rated
DIRECTOR:  Hayao Miyazaki
WRITERS:  Hayao Miyazaki and Haruya Yamazaki (based upon the manga by Monkey Punch)
PRODUCER:  Tetsuo Katayama
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hirokata Takahashi
EDITOR: Masatoshi Tsurubuchi
COMPOSER:  Yuji Ohno

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  (English voices – Manga Entertainment dub) David Hayter, Bridget Hoffman, Kirk Thornton, Kevin Seymour, John Snyder, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Milton James, Michael Gregory, Barry Stigler, and Joe Romersa; (Japanese voices) Yasuo Yamada, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Makio Inoue, Goro Naya, Sumi Shimamoto and Taro Ishida

Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro or Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro is a 1979 Japanese animated action-adventure and comic-fantasy animated from director Hayao Miyazaki.  An English-language dub of the film was first theatrically released in the U.S. in 1991 under the title, The Castle of Cagliostro, the title that I will use for this review.

The Castle of Cagliostro focuses on a master thief, Lupin III.  The film Lupin is based on the manga character, Lupin the Third, created by late manga artist, Kazuhiko Kato (1937-2019), who is best remembered by his pen name, Monkey Punch.  In the film, a dashing thief struggles to free a princess from an evil count who needs her in order to gain a mysterious treasure.

The Castle of Cagliostro opens in Monaco.  There, Master thief Lupin III (David Hayter) and his partner, Jigen (John Snyder), flee the National Casino with huge quantities of stolen money.  As they will soon learn, however, the stolen bills are actually distinctive, high-quality counterfeits known as “Goat bills.”  Lupin decides to seek out the source of this counterfeit money, the country known as the Duchy of Cagliostro.

Shortly after arriving, Lupin and Jigen see a young woman being chased by armed thugs.  It turns out that she is Lady Clarisse de Cagliostro (Bridget Hoffman), and she is running away from her fiancé, the Count de Cagliostro (Kirk Thornton), the regent of the Duchy of Cagliostro.  The Count has arranged a marriage with Lady Clarisse in order to cement his power. The marriage will also help him recover the fabled ancient treasure of Cagliostro, for which he needs both his and Clarisse's ancestral signet rings.

Lupin is determined to save Clarisse from this arranged marriage.  In addition to his partner Jigen, Lupin calls in the highly-skilled martial artist and swordsman, Goemon (Michael Gregory), and the rival professional thief, Fujiko (Dorothy Elias-Fahn).  Meanwhile, Inspector Zenigata of Interpol (Kevin Seymour) sees Lupin's activities in the Duchy of Cagliostro as a perfect opportunity to catch the thief he has been chasing for so long.  Can Lupin rescue Clarisse? Will Count Cagliostro destroy them both?  And just what is the treasure of Cagliostro?

I have previously reviewed the following Miyazaki-directed films:  My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Monoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013).  As Netflix is shutting down its DVD-by-mail division, I am hoping to get to the Miyazaki films that I have not previously watched.

I had heard of The Castle of Cagliostro in connection with Miyazaki, but I had put off seeing it.  I wish I'd seen it earlier, as it is a delightful and maniacal comedy.  The film is not without flaws, as it stretches credulity a bit far, even for a Japanese animated film.  Lupin is not just a master thief; he is also apparently a super-human thief with supernaturally good luck.

Still, I treasure The Castle of Cagliostro's loopiness because Miyazaki and his co-writer Haruya Yamazaki are imaginative when it comes to the comic and action-adventure possibilities of the twists and turns this quasi-mystery takes.  As both designer and storyboard artist, in addition to being director, Miyazaki is inventive in the way he stages the action as a series of chases and fights that are as defined by feats of aerial stunts and gymnastics as they are by martial arts and combat skills.

The characters are quite nice, especially gallant Lupin, who is apparently more ruthless in the original manga, and his partner, Jigen, the amiable, but quite skilled tough guy.  However, the star here is Miyazaki in his first feature-length film.  He makes the action unrestrained by gravity, natural law, or architecture.  Thus, the film is a rollicking adventure with a humorous tone that belies the threat of brutal violence and death that frequently pop up in the story.  I really like The Castle of Cagliostro, and I highly recommend it to fans of Hayao Miyazaki and to those searching for the great animated films.  I also plan on buying my own physical copy.

8 of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, June 23, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: THE FLASH

The Flash (2023)

Running time:  144 minutes (2 hours, 24 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity
DIRECTOR:  Andy Muschietti
WRITERS:  Christina Hodson; from a screen story by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Joby Harold (based on the DC Comics characters)
PRODUCERS:  Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham
EDITORS:  Jason Ballantine and Paul Machliss
COMPOSER:  Benjamin Wallfisch

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdu, Kiesey Clemons, Antje Traue Temuera Morrison, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Nicolas Cage, George Clooney, Jason Momoa, and Jeremy Irons

The Flash is a 2023 superhero and action-fantasy film directed by Andy Muschietti.  The film is based on the DC Comics character, The Flash, with the two most famous versions being created by the teams of writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert and writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino.  The film is the 13th entry in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).  In The Flash, the superhero known as “the fastest man alive” uses his super-speed to change his family's tragic past, but also creates a world without superheroes.

The Flash opens at a very important time in the life of Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller).  His father, Henry Allen (Ron Livingston), has been imprisoned, wrongfully convicted for murdering his wife and Ezra's mother, Nora Allen (Maribel Verdu).  As a police forensic investigator for the Central City Police Department, Barry has been using his knowledge and connections in a bid to free his father, whose next appeal of his conviction is a day away.

However, Barry's superhero life intrudes, so he races to Gotham City where he helps Batman (Ben Affleck) stop a terrorist group.  After that, the Flash visits his childhood home.  Overcome by his emotions, Barry starts running so fast that he does not realize that his power, super-speed, has tapped into the “Speed Force” to such an extent that he has traveled back in time.  Although Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), warns him against doing so, the Flash travels back in time, again.

He returns to the day his mother was murdered and changes events in order to save her life, and the thing about which Bruce warned Barry occurs, the unintended consequences of time travel.  Soon, Barry comes face to face with his younger self, college-age Barry (Ezra Miller).  Not long afterwards, Barry learns that his big change to the past has also created an Earth without superheroes.  As an alien threat looms, the two Barrys seek out the one superhero everyone knows exists – or at least once existed, Batman.  However, this Earth's Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) does not want to be Batman again, even if it dooms the world.

When I first heard of the premise of The Flash, I knew that Warner Bros. Pictures wanted to make its on version of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios' multiverse adventure, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).  Unlike this very sharp Spider-Man flick, The Flash is not as crisp and as efficient.  The Flash's action scenes are always at least a minute too long and too overdone.  The drama is a bit too melodramatic, sometimes in danger of being corny.  Still, director Andy Muschietti and his editors offer a film that is often quite engaging, thrilling, and entertaining.

I believe that the persons that really carry The Flash are first, Ezra Miller as The Flash/Barry Allen and as younger Barry Allen and second, Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne.  This time around Ezra offers a superhero and alter-ego that are both far less annoying and forced than they were in Joss Whedon's 2016 superhero film, Justice League.  Miller is so good at portraying two versions of Barry that they seem like distinctly different people and personalities.  Here, Miller's Flash is more like a quirky character than in Justice League, where he seemed like bad character writing and a resulting confused and awkward performance.  Sadly, Miller's legal problems may keep them from portraying the Flash again, which is a shame.  They have finally got a bead on how to play that kind of character in a way that makes him endearing.

To a slightly lesser extent, Michael Keaton also carries this film.  His Batman/Bruce Wayne is one of the most famous iterations of the character, having appeared in director Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).  Keaton revives the beats of the way he played the character over three decades ago, while adding a lot of new flavors to his character and new engagement in his performance.  After this appearance, I would really like to see more of Keaton's Batman.

Ben Affleck also makes a really nice turn as the “DCEU Batman/Bruce Wayne.”  Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl gives a performance that makes the character seem shoe-horned into this film.  And there are some delightful cameos from other actors and characters that have appeared in DC Comics-related film and television series.  Plus, there is a surprise appearance from another cinematic Batman.  As I have said, however, Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton put a light-speed jolt into The Flash.  I found The Flash entertaining, but I'm giving it the grade I am because of Miller and Keaton.

[The Flash has one scene at the end of the credits.]

B+
★★★½ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, June 19, 2023

Two Musical Tracks Released from "'The Flash' (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)"

Two Batman-Themed Tracks Released From The Flash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

“I Am Batman” and “Sounds About Right, Bruce” Now Available From WaterTower Music

Featuring the Music of 2X GRAMMY- and BAFTA-Nominated Composer Benjamin Wallfisch

The Flash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Full Album Preorders Now Available: Triple LP, Two Color Vinyl and Double CD

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music has announced the release of two highly anticipated tracks of music from Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming film “The Flash,” along with the availability of preorders for Triple LP, Two-Color Vinyl and Double CD versions of the full The Flash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).

The two Batman-related themes—“I Am Batman” and “Sounds About Right, Bruce”—are the latest music to be released from the upcoming The Flash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), which features the music of celebrated two-time GRAMMY- and BAFTA-nominated composer, Benjamin Wallfisch, (the “IT” films, “Shazam,” “Blade Runner 2049” [with Hans Zimmer]). Two previous tracks from the upcoming album, “Worlds Collide” and “Run,” were made available two weeks ago. All four pieces of music are now available for streaming (Standard and Dolby Atmos / Spatial Audio configurations) and digital purchase, and will be on the soundtrack, scheduled for release the same day as director Andy Muschietti’s “The Flash”—the DC Super Hero’s first-ever standalone feature film—is set to open in theaters in North America, June 16, 2023.

Fans may find familiarity upon hearing “I Am Batman,” and for good reason. “The Flash” composer Benjamin Wallfisch explains: “As a DC fan for as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Danny Elfman’s ‘The Batman Theme’ from the moment it hit me as a 10 year old back in 1989. It’s of course one of the most iconic themes of all time, and so beloved by fans around the world, it was my job to pull all the stops out and celebrate it in “The Flash” when Keaton is on screen, whilst also finding a way to completely reinvent it for our movie. Keaton returns to this role with more complexity, and a lot more physicality – the music needed to reflect that,” the composer continued. “Andy encouraged me to go all-in with mining all kinds of variations from those iconic six notes and you can hear them both full tilt, but also planted as Easter Eggs. It was so much fun to get to play in that world.

Wallfisch continued: “The music for Ben Affleck’s Batman, “Sounds About Right, Bruce,” has a completely different approach. I wanted to honor the sheer intensity of sound and orchestration that we’ve heard created for his character in recent films, but as his action takes place in the world of The Flash, it needed a ton of propulsion and forward motion, and from that came this new Batman Theme. There’s also a new theme capturing Batman’s backstory (as yet unreleased) that connects both Affleck and Keaton in the movie, heard several times at some key moments in the story.”


ABOUT “THE FLASH”:
Warner Bros. Pictures presents “The Flash,” directed by Andy Muschietti. Ezra Miller reprises their role as Barry Allen in the DC Super Hero’s first-ever standalone feature film. Worlds collide when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

“The Flash” ensemble also includes rising star Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue and Michael Keaton. It is produced by Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco. The screenplay is by Christina Hodson, with a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold, based on characters from DC. The executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Marianne Jenkins.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory Production of an Andy Muschietti Film, “The Flash” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on June 16, 2023 and internationally beginning 14 June 2023.

ABOUT BENJAMIN WALLFISCH:
Golden Globe, BAFTA, two-time Grammy, Emmy and five-time World Soundtrack Award nominee, composer Benjamin Wallfisch has worked on over 80 feature films, collaborating with directors including Ron Howard, Ted Melfi, Andy Muschietti, Christopher Nolan, David F. Sandberg, Leigh Whannell, Gore Verbinski and Denis Villeneuve. His latest project is Andy Muschietti’s The Flash for DC / Warner Bros.

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London—and mentored by Dario Marianelli and Hans Zimmer—Benjamin’s notable projects include It and It Chapter Two, Blade Runner 2049 (with Hans Zimmer), Shazam!, The Invisible Man, Mortal Kombat, Thirteen Lives, A Cure For Wellness, Annabelle: Creation, King Of Thieves, Hidden Figures (with Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer), and music based on Elgar’s Enigma Variations for Dunkirk.

Benjamin has performed live in over 100 concerts worldwide, conducting orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony at venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House and Royal Festival Hall. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and BAFTA, and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. In 2019 he founded The Scoring Lab, a state-of-the art scoring production company and Dolby Atmos Certified mix studio in the heart of Santa Monica, California.

ABOUT WATERTOWER MUSIC:
WaterTower Music, the in-house label for the Warner Bros. Discovery companies, releases recorded music as rich and diverse as the companies themselves. It has been the soundtrack home to many of the world’s most iconic films, television shows and games since 2001.

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Friday, May 5, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3"

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Running time:  150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITER:  James Gunn (based on the Marvel Comics characters)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin and Greg D'Auria
COMPOSER:  John Murphy

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Chukwudi Iwuji, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, Nico Santos, Miriam Shor, Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, and the voices of Linda Cardellini, Seth Green, Maria Bakalova, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a 2023 science fiction, comedy, and action-adventure film written and directed by James Gunn and produced by Marvel Studios.  It is the third film in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy film series, following 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy and 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.  It is also the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  Vol. 3 finds the Guardians fighting to save one of their members from his creator, a mission that may destroy the Guardians whether they are successful or not.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens on Knowhere, the strange space station where the Guardians of the Galaxy have established their headquarters.  Their leader, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), mourns the loss of his girlfriend, Gamora (Zoe Saldana).  The alien warlord, Thanos, killed Gamora (as seen in Avengers: Infinity War), but an alternate universe version of her appeared (as seen in Avengers: Endgame).  This new Gamora does not love Peter, and she associates with The Ravagers, which was once essentially Peter's surrogate family.

The group has bigger troubles ahead.  The Guardians are being targeted by the “Sovereign” empress Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), someone with a grudge against them (as seen in Vol. 2).  She sends her son, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), to attack the Guardians, and he grievously wounds Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper).  To save Rocket, Peter and his fellow Guardians:  Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), and a reluctant Gamora, must confront The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), the Counter-Earth scientist who created Rocket.

The original Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of 2014, if not the surprise hit of the year.  Vol. 2 was a fun sci-fi-action movie and a surprisingly thoughtful character melodrama.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does everything the first two films did well and amplifies that.  Vol. 3 is the series' funniest film, and I found myself laughing throughout it.  That still surprises me because this movie has some pretty dark moments, especially concerning The High Evolutionary, who is superbly played with volcanic intensity and unremitting cruelty by the most excellent Chuckwudi Iwuji.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of Marvel Studios' best films in years.  I think it works for three reasons.  First, the film's production values and special effects are impressive.  The CGI-created environments, backdrops, sets (interiors and exteriors), space-ways, worlds, etc. are so dazzling in scope, color, and imagination that they surpass the impressive work of the first two films, especially the second film.  The entire entire “Orgoscope” sequence is an eye-popping collection of inventiveness.  Even the menagerie of people, creatures, and robots exceeds the first two film, probably combined.

The acting is quite good, and that makes me want to engage the characters even more.  Chris Pratt gives his best tern as Peter Quill/Star-Lord – drama, pathos, big emotions, and the sarcasm and quips are still here – but with edginess.  This is the first time that I really hoped that Star-Lord would be a long term MCU character.  It is so shocking that Zoe Saldana can convince me that she is a different Gamora.  Karen Gillan as Nebula and Pom Klementieff as Mantis do superb work with the character arcs that the story gives them.  As Drax the Destroyer, Dave Bautista makes the character seem not extraneous for the first time.  Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as always are winning in their voice roles as Groot and Rocket, respectively, with Diesel bringing some extra to Groot this time.

The third reason Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is so damn good is writer-director James Gunn.  This is Gunn at the peak of his powers.  Honestly, I liked Vol. 2 so much that I didn't think he could top himself, but he does with this third film.  I did find Vol. 3 a little dry and too dark in the beginning, but once it grabbed me, it would not let go.

This film has a heart – a center that is about the struggle to help a friend or family member no matter how bad his or her troubles might be or even if he or she resists and rejects the help.  In Vol. 3, Gunn makes all the characters unique individuals with wants, needs, goals, conflicts, and melodrama.  However, the best thing that Gunn does is accept that even the most intense relationships change, so he lets some of the characters move on.  The result is a last act for the ages and a closing sequence that recalls the beginning of the original film and leaves the viewer with the warmest feelings.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in the U.S. today, May 5, 2023.  That is 15 years and a few days after the release of the first MCU film, Iron Man (2008).  Vol. 3 exemplifies something that I just realize runs throughout Marvel Studios' film.  In almost all of them, a dominant theme is the formation of surrogate families.  Friends, enemies, heroes, and sometimes even the villains come together in a unit that is more than just a group of friends; they are family.  In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn gives us the end of one version of the family as it evolves into something larger.  What makes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an amazing film is that it is as heartwarming as it is exciting and thrilling.  Yes, there are big, mesmerizing action set pieces, but by the end, I really believe that these guys love one another.  I could watch it forever.

9 of 10
★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Wednesday, March 29, 2023

#IReadsYou Review: BLACULA: Return of the King

BLACULA: RETURN OF THE KING
ZOMBIE LOVE STUDIOS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander with Scott Hampton
COLORS: Jason Shawn Alexander
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
ISBN: 978-1-958509-00-5; paperback (January 31, 2023)
128pp, Colors, 19.99 U.S., $26.50 CAN

Rated “T+ / Teen Plus” or “16 years and up”

Blacula: Return of the King is a full-color, original graphic novel (comic book) that is based on Blacula, a 1972 vampire horror and Black exploitation film.  Published by Zombie Love Studios, Blacula: Return of the King is written by Rodney Barnes; drawn and colored by Jason Shawn Alexander (with some contributions from artist Scott Hampton); and lettered by Marshall Dillon.  Barnes and Alexander are the creators of the dark fantasy and vampire horror comic book, Killadelphia (Image Comics).

Blacula the film starred renowned African-American actor, William Marshall.  He played the film's title role, an 18th-century African prince named Mamuwalde.  In the year 1780, after a dispute, Count Dracula punishes Mamuwalde by turning him into a vampire and cursing him with the name “Blacula.”  Dracula seals Mamuwalde in a coffin that he hides deep in a crypt in his castle in Transylvania.  Blacula reemerges in the United States in 1972 where he pursues a human woman in what turns out to be a doomed romance.

Blacula: Return of the King opens in modern Los AngelesTina Thomas, a young African-American reporter, writes for “Dark Knights,” a blog that “chronicles all things unnatural, uneasy, and undead in the greater Los Angeles area.”  For the past six months, people have been disappearing, and the word on the street and rumors from the shadows insist that the legendary vampire that haunted Los Angeles in the early 1970s has returned to kill.  That's right; Blacula's back.

During her reporting, Tina meets Kross, a young Black man whose family has been plagued by the curse of Blacula since his first appearance.  Kross leads a group of children, a band of “Lost Boys,” if you will, and all have also been hurt by the plague of undead that follows Blacula's blood lust.  Kross and his boys are determined to hunt and to kill Blacula, and before long, Tina finds herself joining them.

Blacula is also on a mission – his own kind of hunt.  He is searching for the one who forever changed his life centuries ago and cursed him with the mocking name, “Blacula.”  His enemy's name is Count Dracula, and that's right.  Dracula's back, too.

THE LOWDOWN:  I want and need to convince you, dear readers, to read Blacula: Return of the King.  It may be the most inventive and artistically ambitious graphic novel about a vampire since Jon J. Muth's Dracula: A Symphony in Moonlight and Nightmares, which was originally published by Marvel Comics in 1986.

The art and coloring by Jason Shawn Alexander is at times regal and elegant, as if hinting at what Prince Mamuwalde once was.  At other times, it is a blustery and frantic, desperate and stormy, and impressionistic and insane.  It is in these moments that the storytelling reminds reader of the backdrop to the horrific melodrama.  The victims of both Blacula and Dracula, as well as their undead acolytes, are the lower classes, the poor, and those living on the edge of an already frayed society.

That is why what writer Rodney Barnes offers is a true sequel to the 1972 film.  Blacula the movie was a very “Black” film, and Blacula: Return of the King is a very Black comic book.  Blacula, Tina Thomas, and Kross and his lost boys are all living the legacy of slavery and bondage, which is suffering and degradation.  In a way, the characters are living the best that they can, but they are cursed by history, both national and personal.  Blacula may be a monster, but he kills for food, a fate forced on him.  It is like fate of the young African-Americans characters here, who live in a gloomy world of abandoned and ignored neighborhoods.

Barnes and Alexander have made in Blacula: Return of the King a vampire story that is an amazing layered work – literal, metaphorical, and allegorical horror.  It is a sequel that honors the original and advances the story forward in way that is faithful in spirit and in potential.  And as a horror comic book, it is a damn fun read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Blacula, of Dracula, and of great vampire fiction will want to read Blacula: Return of the King.

[This issue contains an introduction, “Blacula and Me” by Rodney Barnes.  It also includes “Prince Mamuwalde Lives!: Resurrecting Blacula,” written by Stephen R. Bissette and edited by John Jennings.]

A+
10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/zombieloveLLC
https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
http://rodneybarnes.com/
https://rodneybarnes.substack.com/


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

"Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" Animated Movie Has Arrived on Blu-ray

"Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" Coming March 28

(Burbank, CA) – Batman’s rational mind and unparalleled fighting skills are put to the ultimate test when an ancient force threatens his world and everyone he holds dear in Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham, available to purchase Digitally and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray on March 28, 2023 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. The all-new, feature-length DC Animated Movie puts Batman up against Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham as he’s aided and confronted along the way by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and more. 

David Giuntoli (Grimm, A Million Little Things) reprises his Batman: Soul of the Dragon role as the voice of the Dark Knight in this all-new 1920s-based DC Elseworlds tale. Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) makes her DC animated debut as Kai Li Cain, Batman’s closest ally.

Elevating the action and drama are DC animation veterans Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) as Harvey Dent, John DiMaggio (Futurama, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire) as James Gordon, and David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon.

Rounding out the cast is Gideon Adlon (Legion of Super-Heroes) as Oracle, Karan Brar (Jessie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise) as Sanjay “Jay” Tawde, Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, The Frighteners) as Kirk Langstrom, Darin De Paul (Mortal Kombat Legends & Overwatch franchises) as Thomas Wayne, Brian George (Seinfeld) as Alfred, Jason Marsden (Young Justice, A Goofy Movie) as Dick Grayson & Young Bruce Wayne, Navid Negahban (Homeland, The Cleaning Lady) as Ra’s al Ghul, Emily O’Brien (Days of Our Lives) as Talia al Ghul & Martha Wayne, Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager) as Lucius Fox, William Salyers (The Regular Show) as Cobbelpot & Professor Manfurd, and Matthew Waterson (The Croods: Family Tree) as Jason Blood/Etrigan.

Sam Liu (The Death and Return of Superman) fills the dual role of producer and co-director of Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham, working closely with co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) to bring to animated life the script from screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse). Producers are Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Kimberly S. Moreau (Legion of Super-Heroes). Executive Producer is Michael Uslan. Sam Register is Executive Producer.

Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham will be available on March 28 to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. 4K Ultra HD and Blu-Ray Discs will be available to purchase online and in-store at major retailers. Pre-order your copy now.

SYNOPSIS:
Inspired by the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace, and Troy Nixey, Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham is a 1920s-based tale that finds explorer Bruce Wayne accidentally unleashing an ancient evil, expediting his return to Gotham City after a two-decade hiatus. The logic/science-driven Batman must battle Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham, along the way being aided and confronted by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and Bruce’s beloved wards. Prepare for a mystical, often terrifying Batman adventure unlike any other.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
Batman: Shadows of Gotham (New Featurette) – An examination of themes of existential dread in a world drenched in gothic overtones that combine to create one of Batman’s most unique adventures. 

Audio Commentary – Filmmakers and storytellers, including producer/co-director Sam Liu and screenwriter Jase Ricci, take in all the gothic horror and intrigue of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.

Pricing and film information:

PRODUCT SRP (Standard Retail Price)
Digital purchase - $19.99
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack + Digital Version* - $39.99 USA
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack - $44.98 Canada
Blu-ray + Digital Version* - $29.98 USA    
Blu-ray - $39.99 Canada

4K/Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
Blu-ray Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief partial nudity

*Digital version not available in Canada

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Tuesday, March 21, 2023

#IReadsYou Movie Review: SHAZAM! Fury of the Gods

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Running time:  130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language
DIRECTOR:  David F. Sandberg
WRITERS:  Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan (based on the DC Comics characters)
PRODUCER:  Peter Safran
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Gyula Pados
EDITOR:  Michel Aller 
COMPOSER:  Christophe Beck

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring:  Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Glazer, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D.J Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, and Djimon Hounsou with Gal Gadot

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a 2023 superhero and fantasy film from director David F. Sandberg.  The film is based on the DC Comics character now called “Shazam.”  Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a direct sequel to the 2019 film, Shazam! and is also the 12th installment in “DC Extended Universe” (DCEU).  Fury of the Gods continues the story of the teenage foster kid who becomes a superhero by uttering one magic word, “SHAZAM!”

Shazam! Fury of the Gods opens in Philadelphia two years after the events depicted in the first film.  Billy Batson (Asher Angel) can still transform into an adult hero, the champion who bears the name “Shazam” (Zachary Levi).  Billy will turn 18-year-old in a few months, which he believes means that he will loose his foster parents, Rosa (Marta Milans) and Victor Vásquez (Cooper Andrews).

Billy shared the power he got from “The Wizard” (Djimon Hounsou) with his five foster siblings.  He calls them the “Shazamily.”  His foster brother, Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Glazer), is an adult superhero who calls himself “Captain Everything” (Adam Brody).  His older foster sister, Mary Bromfield (Grace Caroline Currey) is trying to be an adult while also being a superhero.  The other foster kid/adult hero pairs are Eugene Choi (Ian Chen and Ross Butler), Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand and D.J. Cotrona), Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman and Meagan Good).  Billy/Shazam is desperate to keep his “Shazamily” together, but they are having a rough time being superheroes.  After doing a less than stellar job saving civilians from a collapsing bridge, Shazam and company discover that the local media refers to them as the “Philly Fiascoes.”

Bigger troubles are ahead, however.  “The Daughters of Atlas” have imprisoned The Wizard, and they want to regain the powers he stole from the gods, including their father, the Titan Atlas, and gave to his new champions – Billy and his Shazamily.  Can they survive the attack of the daughters:  Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and the reluctant Anthea (Rachel Zegler), and save the world from destruction and from the fury of the gods?

In the first Shazam! film, the drama was driven by Billy Batson's internal conflict.  It was built around the tension between the foster family Bill could have and did not want and the biological family he wanted but could no longer have (if he ever really had it to begin with).  In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Billy/Shazam fears losing the foster family that he eventually embraced, and with such a theme, he must inevitably learn that one should not hold onto things too tightly – even loved ones.  The Daughters of Atlas must learn the same, concerning the things to which they cling too tightly.  Billy/Shazam's dilemmas don't resonate this time around the way they did in the original film, and, at times, Billy and Shazam's obsession with holding onto the family seems forced.  But at least this film has the requisite drama.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods, like Shazam!, is a very entertaining film that is part energetic superhero movie, part charming comedy, and part heartwarming family film.  The superhero action is not as intense as that found in most superhero films, although Fury of the Gods' action is more intense than in the original.  Some of the villains' murderous intentions seem really murderous.

Except for the increase in intensity, everything about Fury of the Gods is a little down from the first film.  It is not as poignant, not quite as funny, and it seems too long, although it is a littler shorter than the original film.  Still, fans of Shazam! will likely enjoy Shazam! Fury of the Gods.  It even has a nice cameo appearance by another DC Comics superhero, and that cameo makes me wish that we could get more Shazam! Films.  It would be fun to see Billy Batson and Shazam team up with other DC  heroes and pitted against DC villains.  It is likely, however, that Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the final half of a truly unique pair of superhero movies.

B
★★★ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


NOTES:
Shazam! Fury of the Gods has one extra scene in the middle of the credits and one at the end of the credits.

The DC Comics character, Shazam, was the first comic book character to have the name “Captain Marvel.”  A boy named Billy Batson became Captain Marvel by uttering the word, “Shazam!”  Captain Marvel was created by comic book artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker.  He first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (cover-dated:  February 1940) which was published by Fawcett Comics.  A legal dispute caused Fawcett to stop publishing Captain Marvel comic books in 1953.  DC Comics revived the character in 1972, but by then, Marvel Comics owned the trademark to the name “Captain Marvel.”  Thus, the original Captain Marvel is now called Shazam.


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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