The Honeycomb Hideout Episode 30: Comic Movie Madness Part 2

The madness continues as Joe, Kim, Paul and Erik continue their discussion of the progression of comic book films into the new millennium and beyond as the superhero movie underwent its own renaissance and all that inevitably came with it! The fun never stops and the geekery maintains, so come on down and enjoy!

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Paul's podcast:
The Dispenser

Kim's web pages:
Kimmik Design
Twitch Channel

Superman Has Arrived!

I would like to assure everyone reading this that I have kept the spoilers to a minimum for this review of Man of Steel. But if you are new to this property, you might want to be careful all the same.

Allow me to get right down to the point: this movie was very entertaining. It delivered Superman to an entirely new generation of fans and supporters while still holding true to all of the key points of Superman’s origin story. For longtime fans of Superman, the basics are pretty well covered. The planet Krypton does get destroyed, Superman’s parents do put him on a ship as a baby and send him off to Earth in order to save his life. He is raised by the loving Kents from Kansas and does eventually learn of his true heritage. With those pillars in place, the trio of Zack Snyder, David Goyer and Christopher Nolan proceed to tell a fantastic story at a frenetic pace. 

If you are expecting the "happy go lucky" feel of the previous Superman films done by Richard Donner and attempted by Bryan Singer, you had better temper those expectations. Snyder and company have set out on a different but mostly welcome path in re-telling us the origin story of one of the most iconic superheroes ever. 

Henry Cavill is Superman and this story focuses primarily on Clark Kent coming to terms with who he is.  Snyder dedicated a great deal of time in showing us how young Clark Kent struggled to adapt to our world.  The casting for this movie was amazing; even some characters who did not get used as much managed to find precious moments to connect to the audience.  Did I mention that Henry Cavill is Superman? Because he is, and he'll do a tremendous job in guiding Superman into the 21st century.  Much like Doctor Who fans debating their favorite Doctor, Superman fans will be happy to  include Cavill's name in their own debate.

The action of the movie definitely fits Snyder’s style and I could easily see it overwhelming certain facets of the audience. However if you wanted to see Superman simply glide through the air, rescue kittens out of a tree, flash a smile while spouting boy scout mottos, foil bank robbers along with insidious real estate schemes, then I recommend popping in your old VHS tapes. This current incarnation of Superman has not had a chance yet to partake in the little everyday deeds of a superhero. Why?  Because of a super villain known as General Zod portrayed by the sublime Michael Shannon. 

General Zod of 2013 is a man on a mission, pure and simple. Shannon’s take on Zod gives us an exquisite mix of quiet rage that transforms into a volcanic fury, all wrapped around an obsession to duty. He definitely ranks high in the upper echelon of modern day villains, and his lieutenant Faora-Ul (played wonderfully by Antje Traue) is the perfect complement to Zod. 

Both sets of Superman’s parents help give this movie a soul. Russell Crowe’s depiction of Jor-El deserves to be placed in the same breath as Marlon Brando’s iconic performance. Kevin Costner delivers such a powerful act given his relatively limited screen time while Diane Lane brings such warmth to the role of Martha Kent that you could understand where Clark acquired his compassionate and moral core.

Snyder and Goyer take a refreshing course when it comes to the relationship between Lois and Clark. The idea that a pair of glasses could be enough to mask his identity from one of the world’s best investigative journalists was plausible only in a bygone era. If the eventual romance between Lois and Clark was ever going to have a chance, it needed a little touch-up. While a certain sect of fans will bemoan the loss of the little cat and mouse game Lois had with Clark’s secret identity, it was finally time to retire that concept. I admit that it seems odd to not have that security blanket but now Snyder and Goyer have an opportunity to show us different layers of the relationship between Lois and Clark. And while I've heard of people complaining that Amy Adams was not used enough, I think she did a marvelous job for what she was given.  I would also imagine that this relationship will get a little more attention in the already green lit sequel.

The expanded back story of Krypton was gratifying, and while opinions will vary about the representation of Kryptonian technology, I for one did not have a problem with it. Snyder and Co. have set up a couple of very nice Easter eggs that hint at an expanded DC Universe. Man of Steel is undoubtedly the tent pole to hold up DC's fresh endeavor to replicate the wildly successful approach taken by Marvel Studios. 

The movie does have its requisite flaws - one that stood out was the hurried transition from scene to scene throughout the movie. Even with two hours and twenty three minutes, Snyder still needed to rush through some parts in order to tell this over-packed origin story. Hans Zimmer has delivered a terrific score that can stand on its own. The theme created by John Williams will always be the standard, but it is good to know it has some worthwhile company. 

Overall I’d give Man of Steel an A- and to give a sense of reference I would grade Superman Returns at a D+. Man of Steel was simply a good time at the movies - exactly what we're looking for in a summer blockbuster.

Nick

Creator-Owned Heroes: Image Comics Alive and Well

I have been reading Image Comics since it's inception. I have seen the company at its highest, then watched it sink into the toilet because of juvenile approaches to putting out comics. Today, however, I am here to tell you that IMAGE COMICS is back and better than ever.

It seems that as of late, the little company started in the 90's by Marvel's disgruntled top artists is putting out amazing book after amazing book. Not only is Image the home of Robert Kirkman's blockbuster treatment of the zombie apocalypse, Walking Dead,  Even books by Rob Liefield's Extreme Studios (once the laughing stock of the company for its often late, poorly drawn, hyper-sexualized, sophomoric stories) are now enjoying innovative and thoughtful relaunches. 

Just yesterday, I was glad to have had the opportunity to purchase an Image project which I believe to be the culmination of all of the companies creator owned beliefs. Now it is widely known that the printed comic book magazine has seen better days. With the demise of Wizard Magazine, the premiere comics news magazine, I thought I would never see anything in print as far as comic book news and information again. I'm happy to say I was wrong!

From the minds of long time Joe Quesada collaborator, Jimmy Palmiotti and 30 Days of Night creator Steve Niles comes  CREATOR-OWNED HEROES!!!!

The format of the book intersperses two fully realized stories featuring creator owned  properties with a magazine format. I can remember Heavy Metal Magazine doing some stuff like this in the past and I loved it then. This time, however, all of the content in this magazine is creator owned from the sequential work to the interviews. 

The Inaugural issues boasts stories by Steve Niles and Kevin Mellon, as well as content by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Phil Noto.With the current firestorm surrounding the treatment of comics professionals by Marvel and DC, I think that Palmiotti and Niles couldn't have picked a better time to debut this Mag. I also strongly believe that the venture could not have picked a better home than Image Comics to publish it. I hope that the magazine becomes yet another showcase for the talent that Image is attracting and I also sincerely believe that the magazine will serve to inspire even more creators to take the plunge. 

Mark-

C2E2: Thoughts and Recollections

This past weekend I attended the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo as a writer for Imaginos Workshop. We had a table there in Artist Alley where we were promoting our upcoming comic book sampler with posters, stickers and business cards. We also were selling Issues 1 and 2 of Detroit Tradecraft’s The Door. It was a jam-packed and exhausting weekend, and a valuable experience for our upstart company. We had the benefit of sitting between some great artists. On one hand we talked to Jeff Delgado of Dream Gear Studios, who does prints, t-shirts, tattoo design and commissions. On the other side of our table was Carlos Gabriel Ruiz, with a group of artists and illustrators from the St. Louis region.

The most striking and immediate impression of a comic convention is the people attending it. People-watching is at a premium at a con, which attracts a vast number of people that come in many shapes and sizes. The easiest response (especially for a “normal,” or someone not used to the culture of the con) is mockery: the con environment is ripe for satire, or at least good-natured ribbing. You will see people dressed in costumes, capes and tights. It’s no secret that a con is a circus of nerds, geeks and freaks. Even such terms are necessarily alienating, applied to a type of person that has been classified as fringe. But the real reason one is at first drawn to mock conventioneers is not the get-ups or the bad fashion: it is the bald-faced sincerity. There is a certain high school mentality in ridiculing earnestness, and there is nothing more earnest than a bald 42 year-old proudly sporting an R2D2 shirt. But once the initial shock wears off from seeing an auditorium full of unabashedly nerdy adults reveling in comic book culture, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself.

There was a slew of celebrities and sub-celebrities there with ties to geek culture and probably something to promote as well. I got an autograph and an awesome picture with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine. Later he did a Q&A session in which he talked about his comic book epic Orchid and how collaborating on a comic is different from playing in a band. He talked about his career in the Los Angeles music scene as well as the future of the music industry. In response to a question regarding downloading music, he said that it was hard to support giant record labels that sue kids for downloading music when the companies produce CD’s for ¢4 and sell them for $18.99. Morello: the music industry as we know it may be on its way out, “and that may not be a bad thing.” Later in the session he encouraged people to listen to a certain Nightwatchmen song but insisted: “This isn’t a plug. Go download it illegally or something.” He also answered a variety of geek-influenced questions such as what his least favorite comic book-to-movie adaptation is (Watchmen. His favorite? Iron Man). Incidentally, Morello is credited on IMDb as playing a guard in Iron Man. And when asked about the state of Rage Against the Machine Morello answered somewhat exasperatedly that there is no state of the band: “Go tell your friends so they can stop asking me. If we do anything we will tell you. We’re not hiding from you.”

Shia Labeouf made an impromptu visit to the convention promoting his book of self-styled art and observations. It exists somewhere between a memoir and a comic book, and people seemed to be buying them at a quick pace for $10 apiece. I didn’t buy his book but I did get a picture and ask him a question. It went like this:

JR: You were a voice in Nausicaä [of the Valley of the Wind].

Labeouf: Yes.

JR: Did you meet [Hayao] Miyazaki?

Labeouf: I met Miyazaki for a total of 15 minutes. I basically did the movie for him. I view him like you do [as a fan].

JR: Did you go fanboy on him?

Labeouf: I totally did. I’ve only ever really freaked out when meeting someone a couple times. Miyazaki…and Kramer, strangely enough. Them and Dustin Hoffman.

For those who don’t know, Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese director with a slew of critically claimed animated movies (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, etc.). He is an unparalleled auteur and demigod in the cinematic world.

It was a short exchange but Shia was visibly excited to talk about a cinematic idol and I appreciated his enthusiasm. He struck me as surprisingly grounded for someone that’s really gotten a heavy dose of celebrity in the past several years. When my friend Alexa introduced herself to him she shook his hand and said, “Hi, I’m alexa.” He responded, “Hi, I’m Shia.”

There’s something refreshing about a mass of people sincerely reveling in a common bond. It has the feel of a community of sorts, a hodgepodge of personalities that probably wouldn’t look twice at each other on the street. Like a concert or a sporting event, a convention is a state of mind, where you are united with complete strangers with a common and undying bond. It is also the only place where you can rub shoulders with Catwoman, Dr. Doom, Pikachu and Captain America in a matter of minutes. C2E2 was an exhausting parade of artists, onlookers and superheroes that more than once put me into a peculiar and satisfied daze. It was only the second comic convention I’ve ever attended but I hope there will be many more in the future.

Jon