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Collecting X-factor 28-32, and The Quick and the Dead one shot.
The Lowdown: X-factor struggles to find it's place and purpose, post Messiah Complex and suffers with the loss of two team members.
The Review: Before reading this volume, I was very worried. I had heard that this series takes a terrible drop after the Messiah Complex. I can honestly say after reading this volume that, that is simply not true and if it is, it's certainly not an immediate drop.
In fact, this volume showcases some of Peter David's best work on the entire series. The first issue (#28) is absolutely fantastic and sets up the theme of dealing with loss of direction and building oneself back up in this volume.
The team lost two member during the Messiah Complex event, Layla Miller is stuck in the future in a mutant concentration camp, and Rahne has left to join X-force. These departures (one forced, one more voluntary) both have real consequences and Peter David makes a sucky situation into something that he can use. The first issue, and in a way this whole volume, deals with the team falling apart, hitting rock bottom, and pulling themselves out of the rubble. Layla Miller and Rahne were the heart and soul of this team, and Peter David makes it show, as the team barely holds together. Making things worse, Arcade, one of the most ridiculous villains in the X-verse, shows up to wreak havoc.
Peter David touches upon some interesting ideas here, first off, it's very obvious the team is falling apart and Madrox, surprisingly enough, is attempting to hold them all together. When Layla Miller arrived into the group, Madrox slowly grew into the leadership role, he was able to make tough decisions and take a stand, because Layla brought with her a sense of certainty about the future turning out alright. With her gone, Madrox lost his sense of confidence in the future, as Peter David makes clear, he lost hope because that certainty that everything would turn out okay was lost with her. Madrox, and the rest of the team recover a little bit by the end of this book, but it's still heartbreaking in the long run.
Rahne was the moral grounding, the faith of the team, and with her that is a bit lost. Speaking of Rahne, it makes no sense for her to go to X-force, yes she wants to avoid killing Madrox and Layla, but she's going to a place where she'll basically be used as a....Killer, considering the whole group is made up of pretty ruthless individuals. Anyways highly affected by this loss is Rictor, who was just starting a fling with Rahne. He seems to be hurt the most next to Madrox by the loss of his teammates. He has some very poignant scenes and seems to be greatly affected by the loss of Rahne as he questions his purpose on the team, and he questions his purpose in life. While everybody is doing that at this point in the series, but he seems to be doing it more because he is no longer a mutant.
Adding to the difficulty of the situation, you have a useless villain, Arcade, interfering in Mutant Town. Peter David picked Arcade for that reason, he's entirely ridiculous, it adds to the weight of the situation, it's like the cherry on top in a sense. He also inspires Madrox with a sense of purpose, and the reason he keeps going, because people like him who hate just to hate still exist whether there are 100 mutants, 1 million mutants, or just 10.
Again, a big meta plot of the survival of the mutant race, expertly entwined with X-Factor's small time drama.
The one-shot deals with hitting the bottom another way. It's entirely about Quicksilver and it's a great character study on a character who hit rock bottom. He's been bested by Layla Miller, he's been scorned by his father, he failed in protecting his sister, he failed in protecting the mutant race, he's assumed he was a vehicle for God's will and now it's all come back to him. It's not really a one-shot, as it's really part of a larger defining arc for the man. It's a fantastic story outside of the ending which I found a little silly.
Conclusion: Outside of a couple of wonky things, like Rahne's reasonings, the ending to the Quicksilver one-shot, and a couple of other things involving the villains of this series so far, it's a great volume and it may be the best one since the Longest Night.
The LowDown: Just when it seems like M-day was going to stick, a new mutant manifestation is discovered and the X-men, Mr. Sinister's Marauders, the Purifiers, among others race to get the new mutant.
Review:Yes, I'm taking a bit of a detour from X-factor, because this crossover book deals directly with that title and there are a ton of consequences to that team and future books that occur here.
Have you ever played a King of the Hill type game? It's very common in First Person Shooters, one team has to get to an area and hold that area first for a certain amount of time while fending off all the other teams. This book is a lot like that. Except substitute an area or piece of land for a baby.
There are multiple teams (one of them being the X-men), each with their own agenda, and each with their own viewpoint of the world fighting over this new mutant manifestation, that happened at birth. I have a couple of issues with this, mutant manifestations aren't supposed to happen at birth, Peter David's X-factor book went over this a little bit by introducing a third species, the changeling, that manifests powers at birth. So technically this new "mutant" shouldn't even be a mutant, per se. Another thing that I had an issue with is that these multiple groups with multiple interests makes for an exciting and easy conflict, but balloons the amount of characters involved. There's a lot of characters in this book, few get actual development, and little more than a few lines, and it's not very accessible to a new reader of the X-franchise. Another issue is that, yes, I understand that there's a lot of competing and conflicting interests at work but sometimes these interests aren't ever brought up, we never find out why Mr. Sinister and the Marauders want the baby for (just from previous knowledge of Mr. Sinister, I assumed genetic experiments). But everything happens in such a rush that it's glossed over. There are also many deaths or near-deaths, that aren't very clear or memorable because the character gets very little build up to the death. They happen, out of nowhere, and yes I understand that their friends and teammates are upset, but because I don't typically follow the books that they feature in, it's hard for me to really care and get emotionally involved.
It may sound like I'm harping on the crossover, but there's a lot of good that came out of this. It provides a REAL sequel to House of M. Although Peter David's X-factor has been dealing with the consequences of that event for a while and has done a great job exploring the possible storylines from that book, this brings back the larger scale of the X-universe. It's also an action packed booked and really the equivalent of a blockbuster movie, the pacing is rarely slow and it just keeps moving from one action set-piece to the next. The plot moves at a brisk pace and there's very little noticeable diversions from author to author, they all seem to come together as one cohesive unit to tell this story. The artists though, are more divisive, as while most of the artwork is serviceable, the artist on New X-men uses a very cartoony, manga style that doesn't mesh well at all with the other art styles.
Although emulating the style of a summer movie blockbuster, there are significant, interesting developments. Cyclops really takes hold of the reigns of mutantkind and triumphs in his power struggle with Xavier. Seeing Cyclops forcefully move into the role he was trained for all his life is honestly a sight to behold, and seeing the clean-cut poster boy make some controversial decisions is also a lot of fun to see.
One of these controversial decisions is the reinstatement of X-force as a mutant black-ops team led by Wolverine and full of trackers and potential killers. While I like the idea of the move, I don't like that the team is taking X-factor mainstay Rahne "Wolfsbane" Sinclair. Rahne has always acted as a morality and conscience to the X-factor team and David was going somewhere unique with her giving in to her more animalistic side in order to live a clearer life.
Also this book sees Madrox (and Layla) take a trip to the future, where the world isn't all that bright (when has it ever been). It's cool to see the relationship between the two come a little bit closer to fruition to Layla's predictions. Peter David really turned Layla Miller from a plot device in House of M to a increasingly intriguing, if not likable character. So when Layla goes through what she goes through here it has an instant impact on me as a reader and follower of X-factor and on Jamie Madrox. We still have two competing futures, and if you've been following X-factor, you've seen the one where the mutants destroy the humans (as Future Tryp divulged) and now, you've seen the one where humans attempt to control the mutants after a genocidal disaster caused by a mutant. It still plays into the larger picture of X-factor's meta story, and it serves its purpose here in the Messiah Complex to show us the purpose of this new mutant baby and the consequences of it's upbringing, and provide the info for a twist near the end of the story.
There are some other huge status quo changes, but I don't want to spoil too much. Overall the book delivers as a fun action blockbuster but doesn't really come together in terms of plot, character development, and final destination. It's still a chapter in a saga of the X-verse, so there's no real conclusion. Hopefully we'll get somewhere that's worthwhile.
Finale: Like I said, it's a fun book. It's not necessarily good, just fun. It'll help fill in the holes from X-factor Vol. 4 to X-factor vol. 5 and it plays a huge role in the X-universe that will be referenced for at least a while. So it's probably important to read it at least once, but be prepared to be lost at times as it's not the most new-reader friendly and the art isn't the best especially in New X-men issues, and near the end.
The LowDown: X-factor continues to deal with the fate of mutant-kind and human/mutant relations as they stop Mutant terrorists, and become confronted with a new approach to the mutant species.
Review: Happy New Year!
In this fourth volume, David continues chugging along with his meta-plot dealing with the fallout of House of M, Decimation, M-day, "no more mutants," and whatever tag-line or nickname the writers can come up with.
There are two major arcs in this volume. The first arc deals with a mutant terrorist group X-cell who believe the government is responsible for their loss of mutant powers. This arc is the culmination of the storyline they've built up with Quicksilver and his abilities to restore powers. It also brings back the differing ways these ex-mutants deal with their loss of powers.
The second arc is a bit more interesting and deals with the Isolationist and his plotting against mutants. The isolationist is an interesting plot device and character and analyzes the mutant issues in a rational way. There is a bit of retconning as this Isolationist character has monologues that make his influence seem to be throughout the first 24 issues, but yet he just decides to put his plot into motion now. It kind of doesn't come together as cohesively as David wants it to and some of the ret-cons are kind of dropped in. It still makes for a great adversary of the piece, one where the audience can feel his plight and understand the motivatiosn and reasons behind the motivations.
This is a very plot heavy trade as David wraps up plots that he's been teasing for a long time. But it's not like there's any small character moments. Layla Miller and Quicksilver have some great interactions. Rictor really gets some "heroic" moments at the climax of both arcs. Madrox has a great heroic moment at the end of the X-cell arc. Speaking of heroic, Peter David has fully made the transition from noir book to superhero book, and really it's better off especially when dealing with this large meta plot about the future of mutantkind. The small-time noir book wouldn't cut it with these large big superhero team plots.
Although this is a plot heavy trade, there are a ton of themes sprinkled throughout and the character relationships continue to be strong. David definitely plays with the theme of power, what it is, what does it mean to have it, how it should be used, and how it relates to knowledge. Quicksilver had power, but it was twisted, and he used it in a devious manner for selfish (or as he would say, selfless) motivations. Yet X-factor has the knowledge, and thus have power over Quicksilver, yet still have to make a choice of who to divulge this information to and the consequences and the cost of that knowledge. Again, the Isolationist has all the powers, but no peace of mind, leaving him broken and somewhat mad. Also the consequences of Jamie's trysts with both M and Siryn continue to have consequences as his relationship is forever changed with the two women and a pregnancy test is found (although it could also be Rahne's technically).
Review: The X-factor volumes continue to be very good, Peter David continues to balance large meta scale plots, with small B-plots, and never lets his characterization fall through the cracks. If you've been following X-factor up to this point than you deserve to continue. If you haven't than this volume isn't really the one to start with, you should either start with Madrox of the first volume, the Longest Night. If you don't you're missing out on the best series to come out of the modern Marvel Mutant line.
P.S. Be on the lookout for a cameo by someone from the Madrox miniseries.
The LowDown: After a confrontation with Singularity Investigations, X-factor gets some much needed therapy which causes Madrox to pursue a journey to collect his wayward dupes and Siryn and M to spend some "quality" time together.
Review:
There will probably be spoilers about previous volumes every new edition from now on.
This is a story about 7 superheroes, forced to start a detective agency, find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start being real. The Real World: Mutant Town.
God, I hate MTV! Is that show even relevant anymore?
Anyways, we return with another edition of X-factor and this volume has a couple of excellent issues packed in.
First, we have issue #13, which is a semi-sequel to the classic X-Animations issue (#87) from Peter David's original run. You don't necessarily need to be familiar with that issue, but you'll get a lot of this one if you do. It's right up there with the best issues of this series thus far, as it takes each one of the members of X-factor and does a psychiatric evaluation on their place in life and any current issues they may have. It shows how dysfunctional these members are, no matter their outward facade, all these superheros are still people that suffer from something deep down. It's a fantastic issue where we learn new things about each and every member. It also continues the plot lines from last volume with Madrox's sexual encounters with Siryn and M. It puts Madrox in a very interesting predicament, and it's the last straw for Madrox to really journey out and gather wayward dupes.
Madrox's journey to gather his wayward dupes makes up the bulk of this volume, as he gathers up his dupe from S.H.I.E.L.D. in a two part arc, gathers his married with one kid pastor dupe, and his detective dupe. Along the way, we find out a lot about Madrox's personality and see different sides to Madrox. The SHIELD arc, is the most superheroic endeavor as Madrox gets mixed up in the ever-ongoing war between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA. It's a very quick paced arc with the least depth but it does tell us a little bit about Madrox's guilt issues regarding his childhood, and shows that Madrox suffers from a ton of self-loathing due to his lifestyle. It also kind of shows how unbareably unsympathetic Madrox is in terms of gathering up his dupes and not caring about what consequences their sudden disappearances may cause.
Issue #16 is really the first instant classic in this series. It deals with Madrox gathering up his dupe that he sent off to study religion, only to find that the dupe doesn't want to go back. The less said about this issue the better, as it's a fantastic issue, that really puts Madrox face to face with the consequences of his dupes actions and face to face with himself, at least more than normally. It's really shows the questions of ethics in what Madrox is doing and Peter David weaves religious themes, text, and subtext into this issue beautifully.
Madrox also gathers a wayward "detective" dupe in Issue #17, but it reintroduces the next arc and the main plotline. Throughout Madrox's quest, M and Siryn go off to France and are confronted with mutant racism which helps realign the two after their debacle with Madrox putting them at odds. It's a very simple B-Plot arc, and helps keep the story updated with what's going on with some of the other members and the larger plot line about the mutants who lost their powers and their struggle to understand what happened, to survive without their powers, and for some, to get them back. That's what we are confronted with in Issue #17 as the next arc begins here really. Mutant terrorists who blame the government for the loss of their powers. It's actually quite understandable and realistic that people would believe the government had something to do with M-day, and Peter David tries to weave this idea into the fabric and the current ongoing storylines of X-factor and their struggle for Mutant survival. Ultimately it's the weakest issue of the volume, as while the Madrox stuff is still quite strong, it's just too superhero-ey for a book the prided itself on being a little bit different.
There's a lot of build up for the ongoing meta-plot of mutant survival. The plot-line involving the Tryps gets lost here. I'm not sure if David is planning to return to it, or if it was just a small one-off piece of the larger meta plot, used to help make big reveals about the future last volume. It's still a complain though since it was still left a bit in the air with Future Tryp's seeming survival and appearance to Layla Miller.
Conclusion: This is more Madrox focused than previous volumes, and as a fan of the character and this take on the character it is much appreciated. There's a couple of very excellent issues amidst some above average, but still fun, issues. This series continues to roll along and is a delight, especially in terms of David's mastery at weaving small minor plots, street level plots, character arcs, and this large meta plot. It's on par with volume 2 but still weaker with than volume 1's neonoirish beginnings. This volume is an obvious transition to more superhero like plots and it's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just disappointing.
The LowDown: Madrox is forced to make a decision on X-factor's role in the Civil War and X-factor comes head to head with Singularity Investigations.
Review: The first year of Peter David's run on X-factor comes to a close.
This volume is decidedly different in tone than the first volume. While the first volume had a very neo-noirish feel, tone, and look, was more street level, and character enhancing, most of this volume is spent forwarding the major plotlines of the book: Investigations on the Decimation, and arch-rivals Tryp, Tryp, and Tryp from Singularity Investigations.
Don't get me wrong there are some character moments, Siryn's comes face to face with the death of her father and decides to deal with it in a way that is obviously a parody on how comic books deaths don't mean anything and at the same time, says a lot about the character's dysfunctions. Peter David is pushing Siryn to the brink, and it's not a good thing for Siryn to be a recovering alcoholic during this period in her life. It shows strength that she doesn't succumb by drinking but it also shows weakness in how she does end up coping with her father's death and her recent assault.
Also Peter David forces Madrox into finally fulfilling responsibilities as leader of X-factor and making tough choices. The plot about investigating M-Day/Decimation really leads to the awesome moment of Madrox taking the reigns of leadership, confronting the X-men, and then making a decision on the Registration Act. Madrox's issues relate very well to the issues of a twenty something male and female, trying to make life decisions, dealing with relationship issues and consequences of drunken behavior. It also doesn't provide any easy answers for any of these issues. Ultimately, that's why Madrox is such a compelling character, it's because he's an unlikely hero, he's a torn hero, and overall he's human, and like most humans he doesn't know how to deal with his life and makes mistakes along the way.
The plot really comes to the forefront in the last three issues of this volume, as all the build-up to a confrontation with Singularity Investigations reaches a boiling point. There's lots of twists and turns here, with SI using one of X-factor's own members as a spy, the consequences of victimization, lots of mysteries are revealed, and while conclusive in terms of this arc, it's all built on a large grand scale story that will pan out over the next few years. And really all of it builds out of House of M as well. Peter David really messes with the X-men ethos, playing with both the fears of mutants and humans, often turning the fears of mutant concentration camps onto the humans. Also David going beyond the traditional, homo-sapien and homo-superior introducing new species into the fold. It's all rather plot driven, but it's also really fun because it builds out of the original ideas and themes and twists them around a bit to make them seem fresh again.
Conclusion: While a little slower and a little weaker in terms of character's pushing the action, it's got a chock full of plot, the plot moves forward, there are still SOME quiet moments, and it's still a ton of fun.
Lowdown: Following the events of Madrox and the events of House of M, these issues catch up with the new team at X-factor detective agency and inclusion of new members M, Siryn, and Rictor along with old favorites Strong Guy, Wolfsbane (Rahne), and everyone's favorite detective, Madrox, the Multiple Man. The new team tries to find out the secret behind the decimation, dealing with violent fallouts in Mutant Town, and elite corporate crime.
Review:
Marvel has been getting a lot of slack lately for huge crossover events that eat away at every book for months and then letting the book go back to whatever they were doing before. Peter David took these cross-over events and instead of making his book weaker, it made it stronger. Case in point this book is one of the only books I've seen that deal with the events from House of M, M-day, "No More Mutants," and Decimation head-on all the while juggling his larger X-factor only plot. I always felt that Peter David's X-Factor has been the most new reader friendly and even though it has cross-over material, it explains pretty much everything you need to know in it's self-contained little corner. Ultimately it doesn't hinder this book, not in the least. It's a different method that really works for this book. I can't imagine it working for A-list or even B-list characters though.
As for this particular book, Peter David takes the technique he used in Madrox and improves upon it. There's multiple plotlines in this book: there's the fallout from M-day, the first couple of conflicts involving Singularity Investigations, the first case for X-factor, and the gathering of the new team. The biggest thing is that Peter David weaves all these plots and all the characters in and out so seamlessly, there's no distinct A Plot, B Plot, C Plot, it's all one big masterful weaving. Characters move from plot to plot and it feels much like real life, for example, Guido is involved in the Singularity plot in the beginning and later is dealing with riots in Mutant Town. Also the characters don't feel like they're fighting for page time, it's a 7 man team, and yet all the characters get their due.
As for the characters themselves, we've been over at how great of a character I think Madrox is in Peter David's hands. Yet Peter David works in this theme of identity that's so clear in Madrox's character with some of his new characters as well. Rictor, an ex-mutant, deals with the sudden loss of his powers and thus in a way his identity, his connection to the world, and his individuality. Layla Miller, a plot device in House of M, begins a journey to a full character in this series, although much of her identity is "that she knows stuff" but the consequences of this "knowing stuff" is explored here, making her a deeper character than first glance. She's a little girl with huge power in her hands and this has tremendous impact on her psyche. Layla Miller is still shrouded in mystery at this point, but it adds to her character, to the mystery of M-day that X-factor is trying to figure out, and to the plot. Plus it at times makes her downright scary.
Madrox is still at odds with himself and still takes the lead role in this book, mainly because any time there is narration, it's Madrox doing it. All the characters are great in this book and Peter David doesn't really have any trouble finding their voices. There's no real stumbles here and the dialogue is excellent and very clever, at times. All the new characters to the team are welcome editions and each one brings something new to the table.
As for the plot, Peter David doesn't seem to be writing this book for the Trade, while yes, the first major arc is contained in this trade in that it is "the longest night" and everything occurs with in 24 hours. The first major arc is that the first case involving a conflict with SI and SI's actor client as well as the riots in Mutant Town, yes these are resolved, but the larger plots of M-day consequences and Singularity Investigations conflict is still at large, making the entire series seem more fluid. There's a greater story at work here and Peter David reveals it in little steps at a time.
Along with the lots of themes of identity, there's the age-old racism theme in terms of the ex-mutants and how people react to them, there's a theme of consequences for actions in terms of Layla Miller, and there's also a lot of noir, mystery in this book that Peter David plays with but a lot more seriously than his parodied version in Madrox.
There's a stand-out issue only involving Rictor, Siryn, and an ex-mutant outcast. It's got great elements of horror throughout, and it can actually be terrifying to see how much damage M-day has done to certain people who don't know how to cope. There's various reactions, Madrox runs into a person that's happy about losing their powers, there's of course Rictor's reaction, and then there's this guy. It's an excellent issue that really puts the reader on edge. Also the final issue dealing with Layla Miller, who she is, where she's from, and what she can do is also rather great. Strong Guy has a great section where he stands up to Rictor who is bullying Layla with his accusations. Those are probably my two favorite issues of this trade.
Conclusion: This a really strong book, and even if you don't check out Madrox (which you should), this is also a good place to start. After this book, David begins to build his large story, and it could be easy to get lost. But this is a great introduction to all the characters.
Collects: Madrox miniseries #1-5 The Lowdown: Who is Jamie Madrox? Stabbed staggering off the bus, one of his wayward duplicates brings a mystery that Jamie must solve.
Review: What would you do if you could go every direction at once? How would you piece together who you are if you can be everything? This is what Peter David begins to explore as he returns to the characters he made famous in the 90s.
While this miniseries is mostly about Madrox, the Multiple Man, it also acts as a prelude and reemergence of the X-factor book by bring in supporting characters Wolfsbane and Strong Guy as well.
The mood and artistic style of the story takes many cues from the noir film style and follows the footsteps of the crime comic surge that has been taking place. It also parodies this noir style all the same. Peter David often satirizes the noir style to great comedic effect. Speaking of comedic, this book is very much in vein of that comedic style as it doesn't take itself too seriously. Even in the 90's series, Peter David had a great balance of the comedy and the serious themes he tries to portray.
In this miniseries and later in the X-factor series, Peter David emphasizes the theme of identity. It's most obvious with the title character, Madrox, who could also be considered the lead character in the main series, as he tries to discover who he really is and who he wants to be. Madrox's dupes often show conflict with each other and the real Madrox, and it's a show of understanding by David about the human mind. We often have multiple parts of ourselves, and argue within ourselves about what decision to make, what direction we should take, who we are, and who we want to be. It's a constant struggle within our mind. And Madrox represents that, Madrox is the character representation of our mind. Throughout this story, Madrox shows how strong our inner conflict can be, and how fluid our identities can be. All at the same time Madrox is trying to hide his insecurity, and sometimes outright depression by cracking wise (through jokes and humor).
There are two plots in this particular book, the A-plot sees Madrox, the real one, try to solve the mystery behind the murder of one of his dupes. This plot is where most of the fun is, where a lot of the noir cues take place, and there's a ton of momentum up to the ending. The ending itself and the final reveal is hackneyed and ridiculous but still plays up the theme of "identity," and who people really are. That's really the only issue I have with it, overall the story is quite clever, there's great twists, even at the end, and allows some development in Madrox, the man, as well as Madrox, the hero (I wouldn't say superhero as he's more of a Humphrey Bogart than a Clark Kent).
The B-plot has Madrox, a dupe, Wolfsbane, and Guido being hired by a woman who thinks her husband has been cheating on him and also dealing with Madrox being a target. The B-plot isn't nearly as fun as the A-plot, there's still all the fun dialogue, but most of it feels like a distraction. Guido and Wolfsbane are great characters, and this is just their way of trying to reintroduce those characters without taking too much time away from the main character. Not much development but more of a reintroduction of who Wolfsbane and Guido are, Guido is the dumb, loud muscle and Wolfbane is the morally and religiously conflicted because of her mutant powers and her mutant identity. It's still fun just not quite as fun.
Overall: This is an excellent reintroduction to the characters and a flash of what's to come. Definitely recommended for anybody who's interested in mutants, or crime novels with some pep. Later on though, the book becomes more superhero and less noir. So keep that in mind.
So I finished the first season way back in November, and I'm just getting around to posting it on the blog now. I'll probably do some kind of Season 1 Review, reviewing the season as a whole but for now, here were my thoughts when I watched the episodes at the time.
Episode 13: Kinetic - Really didn't like this episode much. The washed out athletes with tatoos were pretty annoying throughout the episode and really their dumb as rocks to pull off any kind of scheme. It's more of the same, super-powered kryptonite villains do things, threaten people, Clark saves them. The only good thing about this episode is that it builds Whitney a bit more, as now he's lost his scholarship and kind of a defeated teen who feels like he'll fall into the same fate as his old man. 6/10
Episode 14: Zero - This was a rather cool episode as it kind of shows everybody having something to hide, gives more insight into the type of man Lex has been, Lex's past and the trouble he's caused (although all of it with noble intentions). The mystery behind the dead man is a lame deus ex machina, cop out and it's disappointing after they've built such intriguing mysteries. 7.5/10
Episode 15: Nicodemus - I really liked this episode, what could have easily been a throw-away episode is a great study on what happens when emotions are uncontrolled. It allows some of the cutesy characters in the series be bad for an episode and it looks like they're having a blast doing it. Everybody does a great job here, and it's a really fun episode all the way around with some interesting insight into some of the deeper feelings of the characters. Lex also got some development as he is always been smirky, and sneaky, but never a bold-faced liar, he was one in this episode to Clark no less. The climax between those two was rather intense and an absolute fantastic scene. 8.5
Episode 16: Stray - Another solid episode that doesn't feel too formulaic, it's slow but all the interactions are pretty good, the comparisons between Clark and the Stray are plentiful, and the relationship that the two build felt genuine. But overall, the show is spinning it's wheels, the characters are still not really developing and I feel a very circular motion going on and I usually vomit from those types of rides. 7/10
Episode 17: Reaper - Really...Smallville takes on assisted suicide, REALLY! The villain in this episode is really just terrible. The biggest situation is that this issue takes up most of episode, the only thing that keeps these bad episodes a float is the political machinations in Lex's storyline. The differences in the father/son relationships throughout this season between Lionel/Lex, John/Clark are fucking fascinating and it's explored a bit here, as well as the John Kent and Lex non-relationship.
Episode 18: Drone - Oh My Goodness, huge leaps in logic here. A girl gets stung by lots of bees she MUST be the Queen Bee now. The FUCK? The class president Clark Kent campaign is actually really fun as he searches for slogans and becomes popular, but the main plot is garbage. Again the only thing keeping these bad episodes afloat are the Lex storyline, here Lex deals with a reporter trying to slander his name. It's a good thing Lex isn't in the high-school because then he'd get caught up in these stupid ass main plots where crazy meteor induced teens go on a rampage. He's kind of on the fringe in his storylines and it's fun to watch him there.
Episode 19: Crush - After the last two episodes, this villain doesn't seem half-bad. He's got legitimate gripes with certain people but his penchant for revenge is just too consuming. The Clark/Chloe relationship gets pushed to the front, and it seems all too quick, sure they were hinting at it throughout the season, but it seems like they skipped a gear somewhere along the way. We go from 3rd to 6th gear here and it's kind of an awkward but nice change of pace as the mid-season was kind of dull to be honest. It's not a great episode but it's a good one as we finally see some progress.
Episode 20: Obscura - This is actually an interesting plot and it feels closer to home as Lana is the one who gets meteor induced powers this time around. Chloe is the one who gets in trouble, and it all just feels closer to Clark rather than some student who goes crazy who happens to be Clark's tutor. Here it's all real, and it's all happening to people Clark cares about. Also it's nice not to get a meteor induced villain for once.
Episode 21: Tempest - I hate cliffhangers as season finales. It's okay to cliffhang some things, but the season should have a clear theme and closure every or at least every other season. Instead Smallville leaves everybody on a to be continued basis and it grinds my gears... Outside of that, Lionel Luthor is awesome, he's been awesome in his sporadic appearances all season and he's a great ploy to Lex. Clark, Chloe, Lana, and Whitney are all left up in the air in terms of relationships and for Lana in terms of safety. See it's okay to have Lex/Lionel tension that's perfect type of cliffhanger, it's okay to have uncertainty for all kinds of relationships, it's great to have this guy following them around trying to discover what's really going on, it's great to have the spaceship come to life, that's all great stuff, but to throw a couple of twisters into the mix, fucking stupid. You should have twister thing ended, and all the other stuff left in the air. That's really how you should have ended the season. Frustrating, but really excited all the same.
Collects: Vol. 1 - X-factor 71-75; Vol. 2 - X-factor #76-78 and Incredible Hulk #390-392, Vol. 3 - X-factor 79-83 and Annual #7, X-factor 84-89 and Annual #8. The Can of Mayo: The government puts together a mutant hero team to dispel the negative rumors, and give mutants a public and positive force to rely on.
Making Duplicates:
This is the first run by Peter David, and it's the first time Madrox (Multiple Man), Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, and Quicksilver are brought together on a team along with Havok and Polaris in these early 90's exploits. This run cam out at a time when the mutants were being over-exploited, and this run was a nice change of pace as this version of the X-factor team worked for the government, had some semblance of deepness in their personality, and was gag central.
Peter David's entire original run is collected in four Visionary trades. This run is still very wrapped up in 90's ambiance, artistic style, storylines, and superheroics, but it's still also very fun. David does a nice job of balancing the superheroic adventures with the the drama that usually comes along with a mutant book, all the while pushing the comedic aspect of his particular team. Each character is typically well-defined, with their own personality traits and each team member adds to the team.
As for the books themselves, they're some decent collections, in the initial volume, you can tell that David had some issues with the nailing each member's voice. They kind of blend in all together, but in later issues, David has nailed each one of the characters. Yet still the first volume isn't the weakest, the fourth volume is the weakest. And that's only because most of that volume contains parts from a large X-universe crossover, X-cutioner's song. David isn't allowed to stay off in his little corner of the world with just his team, he's forced to deal with the crossover and these issues suffer for it...BIG TIME.
Overall the plots are often just big very 90's-esque adventures, Mutanthood Liberation Front, Cyber, Mr. Sinister, The Nasty Boys, and other random villains make appearances in these plots. The themes hit though are more impressive, Peter David often deals with themes such as war, genetics, identity issues, emotional rages, bullying, parenting, relationships, among others. They're so subtle in this book that they just seem like natural parts of the plot. The most risque plot and probably my favorite arc of the run is the Hulk crossover that deals with a war situation very reminiscent of current Middle Eastern events, Iraq and Israel/Palestine come to mind.
Some of my favorite issues include issue 76 (also part of the Hulk crossover) that deals with feminism and Rahne's animalistic changes and issue 87 (the best issue of the entire run) that's a psychology evaluation of the entire team.
No More Dupes: The books are a really fun ride, it's not the greatest run overall, and it takes a bit for David to gets his grasp over every one, but it really gets good with some great themes and subtext being touched upon throughout the run and some great HA-HA's for some relief. I'd recommend it to anybody who is at least a little bit interested in the earlier adventures of the X-factor team. It's a great background on the characters, and it sets me up for a read of the current X-factor run which is a blast of a series.
In case you're new to this, this is a running Smallville diary. That means, that I'm watching Smallville for the first time, and keeping a diary of my thoughts on the show. I had heard a lot about the show for many years now, but never bothered to check it out. Until Now....
Episode 9: Rogue
I really like this episode as they really make Clark see the consequences of his consistent use of his powers. Even at one point it's a throw away line reference to his other life-saving events, it still makes me giddy that the show knows somebody would put the pieces together.
Again, like much of the earlier episodes, this episode makes me think of X-men just due to the comparisons of hiding your powers and not being seen in order to be normal. It's got a great character building scene with Kent's father as he does everything he can to try and protect his son.
Clark takes after his father's lesson and does everything to protect his family. You can see the strong moral compass being built as Clark goes through these dilemmas. Also I really liked that they touched on Clark's want to kill the villain. It really makes Clark seem flawed and it works because he isn't Superman yet, he's still got to work out the kinks, especially in cases where the villain gets close to his heart. It's not just random civilians the villain is threatening it's his family. We know all superheros become emotional when their family is involved (I mean look at Spider-man, he made a deal with the devil just to save his dying Aunt).
Lex moves closer to find out the truth about Clark which is interesting but his interaction with Victoria Hardwick was really not, they tried to make it see like an exciting corporate game of cat and mouse but it was far from exciting.
Finally the C-story of Chloe losing her job as School Paper editor was really a nice piece of character building, very highschool-ish but considering that they are in high-school, it works. It gives Chloe more screen time, shows more of the true feelings that Chloe has for Clark, and Lana now realizes it, I think. Meaning that Clark will probably be hooking up with Chloe before Lana because of Lana's sincerity.
Three very separate stories with very little thematic connection this time around. But still one of the more entertaining and well-paced episodes yet, with a villain who doesn't have powers. That's a few good episodes in a row...we'll see if they can keep it up.
8.0
Episode 10: Shimmer
This episode is all based around a single mystery, it's not the greatest mystery ever, but did you really expect it to be.
This is a very Season 1 Buffy-type episode, and actually the concept is very similar to one of the episodes from that show. The invisible teenager is also the teenager who is the least known, the most quiet and as they say it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. It's predictable but it's not too predictable.
Anyways, the main issue here and the more interesting issue, is the stuff that has to do with Clark, as always. Clark shows himself to be a better man than Whitney, by sacrificing his own feelings for Lana in order to help her repair her relationship with Whitney. In the end, Whitney isn't a bad guy, he's a pretty typical jock, kind of immature. Clark is just morally better, and an all around idealist. His ideals and his devotion to these ideals are what is so interesting in this episode. Even with his best friend telling him that he'd make the moves, but he's not Clark, and that's why he likes Clark so much, Clark still makes the tough decision and moves on.
The rest of the plot, the villain plot really isn't that interesting, sure it gives us more insight into Lex but it's still kind of bland, and been there done that.
7.0
Episode 11: Hug
This episode is my least favorite on the disc but it's still not quite as bad as earlier episodes and I can't remember much of it. It's just that the concept is a bit bland. It's a very environmentalism heavy episode. It's a very business dealings heavy episode (which is fine when it deals with Lex, but I don't really care that much outside of him). It's just kind of boring.
Until the climax. Uzi's, Clark vs. gun, and Chloe kissing Clark (okay maybe that last one doesn't happen in the climax), but there's some awesome moments in the climax and the action scene of the episode.
In terms of themes, we see something that'll come up in the very next episode but just executed so poorly it's barely even noticeable, two people having the same power and using them in different ways. Why is it not noticeable, well, it has very little relevance on Clark or any of the other main characters, it's all based on the one-off characters we'll see only in this episode. So we kind of go over it in passing. And we forget.
Most of the episode though is just bland. Whitney boohoos about Clark causes problems with Lana/Clark friendship, and it's all wrapped up kind of stupidly and nonsensically. I didn't like this episode.
6
Episode 12: Leech
This episode has some great thematic relevance but the plot devices used to get there are just implemented so poorly...lightning really...REALLY!
First the bad stuff, LIGHTNING can apparently strip you of your powers and change your DNA, which is what happens to Clark here. He switches DNA with a normal person, and he in fact become normal. I can't stress this enough, LIGHTNING makes people switch DNA. It's stupid. The normal kid gets Clark's powers and deals with bullies, and unforgiving parents.
Anyways, once that is out of the way, we see Clark get to enjoy normal life. There's some interesting notes on identity and the use of power to establish identity. The coolest difference is to see what Clark does with his powers, responsible, life-saving actions compared to the other teenager who uses his powers for personal gain and to crush adversity (not unlike a certain friend of Clark's). Clark sums it up quite well on why the two are so different, Clark's parents. The other big difference is in how the public view the two, because of Clark's carefulness in hiding he's never seen as a freak or an experiment, even though his parent's know, they still treat him as their son. The other student never felt treated like a son, never felt loved, and thus is seen as an opportunity for research by his father, and a freak by his mother. That really is the difference in how the two end up using their powers.
Unfortunately the climax could/should have been interesting as a normal Clark takes on the powered student, but it just uses the stupid plot device to get everything back to normal. It's stupid and lame. And really puts a dent on an episode that has lots of fun thematic relevance.
7.5
Halfway through the season and I fell a bit of mid-season slump. It's still fluffy entertainment, and really, the quicker Season 1's constant one-off plots end, the better.
In case you're new to this, this is a running Smallville diary. That means, that I'm watching Smallville for the first time, and keeping a diary of my thoughts on the show. I had heard a lot about the show for many years now, but never bothered to check it out. Until Now....
Episode 5: Cool
Another villain of the week...this time he has the power of freeze! This time the metaphor is for somebody who is basically a man-whore. It's basically using the cold as the way certain men may treat women as only sexual objects. Either way, the villains are still kind of just there. At least, Kryptonite isn't sitting around at the opportune time before the fight, instead, like many of the other power villains, he's received his powers due to it.
It's a really weak episode and they tackle a plot-line I didn't care too much about, the Kent farm storyline, although it does get Lex involved more in the Kent's lives and involves more business like matters which is what Lex becomes a mastermind at. Overall though I wasn't a fan of that plot thread. The better plot was the one that had to do with sacrifice for Clark. Lana wants to spend time with Clark, but Clark is caught in a very Peter Parker-like scenario, doing good in the world or being with the special someone. Clark ultimately decides he needs to use his gifts and goes off to be the do-gooder at the upsetting of Lana. Like I said, very Peter Parker like scenario. I expect this to be a theme throughout the season if not longer, Clark's moral responsibility coming in the way of his wanting to be with Lana, friends or family even. It's not a half bad idea, and they've already established that Clark feels responsible for a lot of the bad that's happening and going to happen. It helps sets up the self-sacrifice we see from Superman.
Also getting more of a spotlight this episode is Chloe, who gets to show more depth that the regular super-reporter side. She shows that much like the rest of the town she's quite much like a normal girl, despite her strong, smart front. She also is capable of vulnerability and she is even willing to give a well-known douchebag a chance.
Still most of the plot is spent with ICE-Raper, and it's not that great.
Like the earlier episodes, it falls to the typical, boring villain plot, good character plot. When it finally meshes, the scores will go higher. But until then this show is still getting crappy scores.
6/10
Episode 6: Hourglass
The first episode that really combined all the elements excellently. The whole story follows an overall theme of time. The villain is stuck in the past, the old woman can see the future, and everybody else has to deal with the consequences of the past and future clashing into the present when they don't belong (the villain) and/or are not ready to deal with it (the future, especially with Lex).
First off, the coolest thing about this episode are the visions of the future that the audience gets. Lex doesn't believe in prophecy and feel an individual can create their future, Clark believes in prophecy but doesn't what likes what he sees and works to change it. The villain is another one of those elemental villains that we've been seeing lately, but it works just fine because it doesn't overpower and overwhelm the strength of the character story being told here.
Even the villain is kind of creepy, from how things are played out when he's just an old-man to later. It's fits very much into how we view different age groups, the pesky, vile, evil teenagers, and the innocent, respectable, old men. Imagine if the teenagers are just a little bit younger, they'd be innocent again. The circle of life.
I really liked this episode, and it's easily the best episode yet. 8.5/10
Episode 7: Craving -
From one of the best episodes yet, to one of the worst. This is a case where the villain does overpower the story. The whole story is about the villain with really crappy effects, and really an annoying character. It's obvious they're trying to throw a theme against eating disorders and poor self-image, but it's just so heavy handed that it's kind of been there, done that.
The stuff in terms of Lex, Lana, and Clark still moves along quite well. But it's all a blur because much of the time we're watching the villain go on a spree. The plot needs to pick up soon, like I said the villains of the week can only last so long.
I really liked Lex's machinations this week, he's making an assertive effort to find the truth behind the happenings of Smallville and Clark himself. He's also constantly positioning himself in a favorable position by helping Clark, but at the same time, only as a way to know the truth. It's very fun to watch him wheel and deal in the background.
Still incredibly poor episode 5/10.
Episode 8: Jitters
First off, the jitters effect wasn't scary, it was hilarious. Laughably bad.
Second this episode breaks away from the norm: it's got a villain who's not really a villain, and the "not really a villain" is an adult this time around. It's refreshing to see that not all the villains are teenagers, and it's also good to throw in a sympathetic villain who is also a victim of circumstance and desperation. Also the villain's connection to Clark and the Kent family is more believable than it has been in the past (a study buddy in Cravings, and random jock that he goes to school with that's macking on Chloe in Cool). The villains story does take up a lot of time because it's the main story of the episode, sure there's some humorous filler early on about Clark throwing a party while his parents are away, but it's just that filler.
The rest of the episode is Earl Jenkins asking for help and trying to find out what is wrong with him and his disease's connection to Luthor Corp Testing. The idea of desperation is the kind of the main connection in this episode, Lionel is desperate to diffuse the situation and not have any negative press, Lex is desperate to be better than his father at any cost, Clark is desperate to help his friend, the Kent's are desperate to get their boy out. It shows how such a thing can escalate very very quickly. It also compares the relationship between Clark and his family to Lex and his father.
Outside of the filler, it's a pretty good episode, although some of the acting and the jitter effects are laughably bad.
7.5
So far the show can be incredibly frustrating, but I've enjoyed it because it's light fluffy entertainment which is something that I need right now. Eventually, I'll need more from this series...but the first season is always the hardest as they find their legs. Like I said this season reminds me a lot of Buffy Season 1.
Since I've never seen the show, like at all, and I don't want to run into a whole bunch of spoilers in the other thread (SPOILER....CLARK LIVES!), I'll put it in here where I'll keep a running diary of my thoughts on Smallville.
First off I should say, I have very little knowledge of Superman and most of it is the little crossovers he's had with Batman in Hush and Dark Knight Returns, the Batman animated series, and his own series of films. I really liked the first two, never watched the second two, and I thought Returns was boring. Overall in the first two, some of it was a little goofy and there's more gags in the second, but I still liked them. They're entertaining stories, and the first one has an absolutely awesome origin.
I only recently watched the older Superman films, I never got into the character because frankly, I find the character to be rather dull, his rogues list is almost non-existent, and frankly I don't like how invincible he is. So this is my mind-frame coming into this show.
I watched the first two episodes last night:
Episode 1: Pilot, Episode 2: Metamorphisis -
It's funny that they couldn't even give a title, I guess the title of the pilot is Smallville.
I really enjoyed the opening scene. Outside of the special effects being rather low-budget, (I almost laughed when I saw Lana's parents get crushed), the scene really helps portray what seems like a theme throughout much of the first season (Clark's arrival caused a lot of strange and sometimes tragic things to happen in Smallville). We get an introduction to the adults of the series and subsequently an origin (in a way) of the three young'ns, main characters, of the series.
The rest of the series reminds me of a mix of X-men and early Buffy. Clark right off the bat has two friends in high-school who immediately remind me of Xander and Willow. They have this scene where there is a ton of exposition and the wall of weird in the background. The high-school setting, of course, and the superpowers, of course remind me a lot of that. Although Buffy had much better dialogue and wasn't so ham-handed as it is here, at times. Overall it's still enjoyable I just hope that some of the speechy, melodramatic Dawson's Creek elements will be toned down a bit.
As for the X-men comparison, I'm talking about the way Clark wants to be normal, he really does act like a younger mutant, a teenager with powers, would. It's a completely different impression than I had of Superman before. I always viewed Superman as who he is, comfortable in the suit, comfortable with his powers, comfortable with his position in life and Clark as the disguise. Here, we see that Clark kind of who he is, and with the help of his parents, especially his father in these episodes, and through his life he will develop a Superman aura, identity, along with the strong moral compass. We can see his willingness to self-sacrifice right from the outset with his constant saving of people, but even more than that is the conclusion to episode 2 where he puts Lana's necklace on her door without the need to gloat that he found it.
I like Lex, he comes across as polite, yet sneaky and mischievious. It's interesting and better long term planning that Lex stays in the background and gets built as a villain while the jock pretends that he's a somebody. The dynamic between Lex and Clark is really fun to watch in these early gray episodes, as Lex is less black and white, and there seems to be a little fighting for Clark's soul. I like that Clark's moral compass isn't completely set yet.
The other villains are really nothing to write home about, the first episode has an electric boy or Electro, and the other episode has bug boy, or Toad. Neither one is that deep, and they're there to be the villain of the week, while the series builds up greater threats (I hope). It's fine for the early part of the series, but on a long term basis, this villain of the week thing will get boring. I actually really enjoyed Bug Boy's outing, as they spent more time building up an origin, a background, and everything, making him more than just a throw-away villain. The electric kid was little more than just a throw away villain. It really irked me that Clark won both fights by accident, if this becomes a recurring occurence, it'll get boring really quick.
Lana is really one-dimensional here and serves no more purpose than to look and act cute. She does it well. Clark's friends didn't really do much, outside of help with detective work, exposition, and comedic relief. I can see Chloe having a bigger part later, but not quite yet. Clark's father gets a lot of screen time in these early episodes as he really does get speechy and fills us in on Lex's father, as well as his own moral compass and place in the world. He doesn't seem all that bad in these early episodes and actually tries to help Clark out a bit.
I really liked how they worked in classic ideas and weaved them right into the story in a modern way, the "fortress of solitude," Lana's kryptonite necklace (which looks like it could play a big part in this series), the S on the chest.
I liked the continuity between episodes, it really helps with the serialized storytelling but at the same time doesn't tie it down where it's impossible to enjoy each episode individually.
Overall they are a couple of fun early episodes, not too deep, and not fantastic in terms of storytelling, plots, and pacing but there's a lot of potential here.
7/10 for both.
Episode 3: Hot Head
The show is progressing pretty typically. While it makes great redemption for Clark to deal with all the weird things that have happened because of his arrival, it gives Clark a potentially limitless amount of stock villains to deal with, all that have different powers, but the villain of the week storytelling really reeks of beginner story telling. Which is fine for right now because frankly it is the beginning of the show, but I don't think I could go with this throughout the show. Usually good shows (such as Buffy) attempt to use the villains as metaphors things that happen in real life. Smallville also attempts to do that, at least with this episode, it's a very thinly veiled metaphor, but it's a metaphor.
The evil coach here is a metaphor for child abuse, biased teachers, and obviously extreme competitive spirit out of control. Not sure what the coach's fire is supposed to represent really and that's pretty common. Why is the guy in the first episode electric? No reason really. It's just amateur storytelling really, face value storytelling. I need more to my tv show and so far, especially in these episodes that are focused around a very particular plot, they're not doing it for me.
As for the other characters, this episode is about standing up for your-self, becoming your own man (or woman in Lana's case). That's the strength of the episode and it weaves through the "villain of the week" plot throughout the episode. It's supposed to help show the strength in Clark, Lana, and Lex as they all stand up for something they believe in and all stand up against their parents or guardians. It's all there to strengthen the characters, Clark once again wants to prove wants the trust of his parents to make his own decisions with his powers, Lana wants more out of her life and wants to stand out, Lex works to be a better businessman than his father.
Again it's not really captivating stuff, and that could be because it's been a long time since high-school although these themes still ring true to me now in my mid 20's, but it's fun bubblegum stuff that needs a bit more polish in terms of characters, and more rhyme, reason and depth in terms of their plots. Worse than the pilot episode and second episode, it's not bad just not as good.
5.5/10
Episode 4: X-Ray
Again another villain of the week with thinly veiled metaphor, actually this metaphor is better than the last, as the villain wishes their life is more like others and thus takes on their facade. It's a nice little metaphor for jealousy of others.
Clark deals with a new power (take a guess which one that is?). There's a hilarious scene when they're in gym class and Clark's eyes go wonky on him and he gets a sneak peek at Lana's :w00t: . It's awesome and really true to what most guys would be doing if they had the power, honestly, glad they acknowledged it.
Lex deals with being framed. It's pretty awesome, Lex bounces back and forth from doing somewaht good things to evil things. He's in a moral middle ground and there's a fight for his soul going on, but his position, his power (both of which he probably loves), makes harder to keep things straight.
Another metaphor is that this episode is all about people not being who they seem at first glance, Clark isn't just Clark he's more than that, Lana doesn't just want to be some cheerleader, she wants to be more than that, the villain isn't who they seem to be, the reporter isn't just doing his duty he's blackmailing, and Lex isn't just some spoiled brat, he's fucking awesome. The only person who really knows who they are and is who they are is Chloe, she makes no bones about who she is. It's refreshing everytime she's on screen really as she's the only one who acts really genuine while everyone else kind of acts like they're in a tv show (it's okay for Lex, because he's evil and evil is cool, and cool gets a pass).
Again another good but not great episode, it's fun but it doesn't really come together as well as I make it seem.
6/10
General thoughts on the series thus far:
Lex is awesome in this series.
Pete is absolutely useless in this series. He has done nothing of note, and I actually had to wiki the character's name because I keep forgetting it.
Like many characters in this show, Chloe has a one note role, but I like her character and I like the actress who plays her. Hope for more of her in the future.
I don't like how much kryptonite there is in these episodes, everyone has some, it's all over the town, and anytime Clark gets in conflict, the villain "just happens" to have some handy.
I hate that most of the villains kind of get injured/die seemingly on their own accord. Only episode 4 breaks the mold as Clark actually knocks Tina out. In the others, the electric guy frys himself, the lizard guy gets crushed because he pulls a lever, the fire coach blows himself up. What the heck.
So I know I've been gone pretty much all fall, I've had a veritable laundry list of problems with my university, that took me most of August and September to sort out. I'm going to be pretty busy up until December as I'm wrapping up my Master's project and finishing my exit exams. I'll be done with most of the work in December and hope to finally graduate with my Masters in May when the economy will probably still be just as shitty as it is now. FUCK!
But I know that's not why you come here, so I'll get right into some of the typical topics.
DVDs:
You know nothing really stands out from the movies I watched this summer. I look at the list of DVDs that I've rented from Netflix and while many were fine and good, and I liked and enjoyed them, very few stand out as cream of the crop.
I'll just get to a couple:
Taken - this was a very fun action thriller, and is just straight up Liam Neeson being a bad-ass in a gritty realistic world, it's basically what 24 the movie would be like. It's more based on a personal vendetta than a govt agency chasing terrorists, but it's still an intense, quick, little action movie. 3.5/5
Rambo: First Blood - Before this summer I had never seen a Rambo film outside of the recently released sequel, so I decided to go back and watch the first film. Man, it's a pretty intense character study of John Rambo, the psychology of war, and a social commentary on the veterans of war and the way the government and society treat them and others with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It's smarter than I thought it would be, but also not too smart to the point where it's not entertaining. 4/5
The Visitor - Don't really know what to say about this one, but it was a surprise hit with me and my family. It's a smaller film that's more personal, it gets so personal that the characters act real and ultimately the film makes you really care. On the larger picture it's about illegal immigrants and their interaction with society, on the smaller picture, it's about a professor who's lost any fulfillment in his life and finds it in his interaction with these "visitors." It's a really great film that I think everyone should check out. 4.5/5
Gran Torino - Everybody probably already knows about this film. I love Clint Eastwood's twilight years as a director, he's directed such great films in the past decade or so, and this one is another hit. It's probably my favorite one of the bunch (a lot of the shine of Million Dollar Baby rubbed off last time I watched it). 4.5/5
As for the Films/Movies that I saw in the theater well it wasn't a particularly great summer...
X-men Origins: Wolverine was a huge let down, The newest Potter film was a letdown (but really the series as a whole hasn't been that great outside of the magical Prisoner of Azkaban film), T4 was better than T3 but still added nothing to the story, and overall I just wasn't enthused with any of the big blockbusters this summer. I skipped out on Transformers (which I heard was a disaster) and G.I. Joe (another toy franchise from the 80's getting the blockbuster treatment that I don't care about).
The movies that stuck out came under the radar and again, were ones that didn't have the huge budget but made up for that with charm, and creativity.
District 9 - I really enjoy sci-fi done right, this was done right. It's a fun sci-fi movie that puts a spin on the treatment and fear of aliens. I really enjoyed it, although critics are right, the tonal shifts throughout the move makes it seem like the move isn't sure of what it wants to be (it shifts from a documentary style which disappears, to a straight film about the plight of these aliens, to an action movie) but I hardly noticed it while watching it because the overall plot about the main character's psychological transformation sticks with you throughout. The aliens are actually really well done, and they make you care about the aliens as if they were people. The whole movie really clicked with me. Also the action sequences looked better here than many of the higher budgeted films of the summer. 4/5
Zombieland - Another lower-budget film that just really clicked. It's absolutely hilarious film and was a darn good time. Some may say this is a US version of Shaun of the Dead, in a way it is, it's an American parody of the Zombie movie, but it doesn't retread ground that Shaun of the Dead covered. I liked Zombieland better overall, it was just much funner, but then again I watched Shaun of the Dead at home by myself, which tends to take the kick out of a lot of comedy movies. 4/5
TV Series (mostly via DVD)
I didn't watch much TV this summer/fall, but I did watch some. Of course most of it was on DVD as I usually despise appointment television. The only show that I've watched during actual airings lately has been:
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights - it's only a few episodes in (I think, 5 or so) but it's been an enjoyable show, mind you this is the 10th season (I think) and the last time I watched a full season was the first season, and I probably watched an episode or two of season 2 and 3, generally the show has been off the radar. I've enjoyed this season thus far, although the fights have been really lackluster thus far. Obviously Kimbo makes for good tv, Quinton makes for good tv, and the interactions between the Quinton and Rashad makes for good tv. Overall though, Rashad looks like he could sweep, his coaching is better, he's got Greg Jackson's camp behind him, he's got knowledge of the Ultimate Fighter experience since he actually was on the show one season, and overall he looks like he's got more well-rounded fighters. I also can't see any of Quinton's fighters taking the season. Nelson looks to be the favorite, but I'm going with an outside pick of Justin Wren or Brendan Schaub.
Outside of that not much on the TV front -
I finished much of X-men Evolution, including the entire third season, but with 4 episodes left in the 4th and final season, I kind of just lost interest, I'll finish it off eventually especially because season 3 was actually pretty damn good and season 2 wasn't half bad. But most of Season 4 has been stand-alone episodes that haven't really done much for me.
I started a little known series called Battlestar Galactica, they have most of the seasons available via the local library so that's where I've been getting them. Many of my friends have been telling me to give it a shot so I've been giving it a shot lately. The miniseries that acts as a pilot of the first season didn't really blow me away. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either, the first 4 episodes played much better with me, I can see the religious symbolism and other social themes clearer, the plots are more engaging, the pacing is better as they only have to fill 45 minutes instead of almost 3 hours. It just started coming together. I'm still not blown away by it yet, but I'll definitely keep watching.
Also I just recently started watching Smallville from the beginning. I'll have my thoughts up on the first two episodes in a bit as I'll be keeping a running diary of that series. Overall, it hasn't blown me away but it's a fun little series that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Wrestling:
I really enjoyed the feud over the summer between Punk and Hardy. It was an excellent feud that helped raise Punks star-power and made him a threat and one of the top heels in the WWE and the top heel on Smackdown. It's been the most enjoyable thing about the WWE summer. Also their TLC match was pretty awesome.
The second most enjoyable is Jericho/Big Show's tag title reign. The tag titles have been booked so excellently and if WWE plays their cards right they could virtually make new stars with the first defeat of Jericho/Big Show. Jericho is always excellent and Big Show is doing great in his role as a big bully tag champion. Also their tag match against Mysterio/Batista was the best tag match we've seen in a long while and so much fun.
Speaking of Tag teams, the DX feud with Legacy that's been running most of the summer has also really helped build DiBiase and Rhodes as actual threats and future superstars. The matches were good but not great, and DX didn't bury them as they tend to do with tag-teams. Legacy had moments where they actually looked quite strong in the feud, and the story they told in the HIAC match they had last month was innovative and smart.
Morrison's IC title match with Mysterio from Smackdown was really a MOTYC and should be seen by everyone.
Ever since Taker came back I've been absolutely disappointed in the Smackdown World Title picture and the booking of the Title itself. They booked themselves into a corner and cut Punk out from under the knees on his heel title reign, Punk is still fantastic in the role, but it's obvious age is catching up with Taker as he can't perform nearly as well and it shows. His best match with Punk was at Hell in a Cell and even that was underwhelming.
Orton and Cena round one billion. I'm so sick of these two wrestling each other. In all honesty, I'm pretty sick of Orton, I really liked his character as a ruthless animal, but the way he wrestles is just down-right lethargic. It's not entertaining in the slightest. Admittedly they had a fun match at Summerslam with the story of Orton torturing Cena and a basically dead Cena never giving up before making his comeback and finishing it quick. But it's still way below the standard for the World Title and main events. Now mind you I haven't quite finished Braggin Rights, but I have no faith going in that they can keep it entertaining for a full hour. Hopefully it really is the final match these two have.
And just so you have it, here's an updated listing of the TOP PPV matches of the year.
Top WWE PPV Matches of 09:
HBK vs. Undertaker (Mania 25) - **** ½
Jericho vs. Rey (The Bash 09) - **** ¼
Raw Elimination Chamber (No Way Out 09) - **** ¼
CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (Summerslam) - ****
Jeff Hardy vs. Edge (Extreme Rules) - ****
Mysterio vs. Jericho (Judgment Day 09) - *** ¾
Mysterio/Batista vs. Jericho/Big Show (HIAC 09) - *** ¾
Edge vs. Cena (Backlash 09) - *** ¾
CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (Night of Champions 09) - *** ¾
Mysterio vs. Jericho (Extreme Rules) - *** ½
Smackdown Elimination Chamber (No Way Out 09) - *** ½
MITB (Mania 25) - *** ½
CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (The Bash 09) - *** ¼
14.Christian vs. Jack Swagger (Backlash) - *** ¼
Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio (Summerslam) - *** ¼
DX vs. Legacy Breaking Point (HIAC) - *** ¼
DX vs. Legacy Breaking Point (Breaking Point) - *** ¼
DX vs. Legacy (Summerslam) - *** ¼
Comics
Finally my foray into comics this summer...well I've read a lot, it's the only thing keeping me sane.
So some of the stuff I've gotten into:
Batman - read Hush which I didn't like, Nine Lives, Thrillkiller, and Gothic which I did like.
54 vols. 1-4 - I don't know much about the DC Universe and this was my entrance into the larger world, some of the characters jived with me, others didn't. It's a good book and an interesting experiment but I was often lost and confused about what was going on. Still it's pretty entertaining and makes me realize the kind of comic work that I like (noir or political thrillers) and the stuff I typically don't like (sci-fi epics and aliens). 7.5/10
JLA vol. 1, Earth-2 - I heard a lot of praise for Morrison's JLA, frankly I didn't care too much for it. I thought there were some great ideas in both books and Earth-2 is better paced, written, and plotted, but his first arc was just lackluster and didn't do much for me outside of unexplored ideas and directions. Also, there's very little character development which I'm typically a fan of. I might give vol. 2 a try, but it's possible that I don't like large-scale superhero books (JLA, JLI, the Avengers) and prefer those that stay in their corner (X-factor, Thunderbolts by Ellis). vol. 1 - 6/10, Earth -2 - 7.5/10
Starman vol. 1-4 - Again a book that comes with a lot of praise, so I decide to check it out from the library which owns the first 7 volumes. It's actually really good and outside of some ham-fisted speeches, and static dialogue, it's got a great mood and presence to the whole book. I don't remember which volume is which but there are some bumps in the road along the way, the Hell and Back arc isn't that great, and there are some stories in volume 4 that are just long and boring, but overall it's a great read. The stories being told, the main character's journey to become a full-fledged superhero, the theme of unbreakable connection to a villain and destiny, the clashing of both past and present, the love letter to the past, it all makes up for shoddy narration, stilted dialogue, and a few other bumps in the road. The library has vols. 5-7 available, so I may just read up to vol. 7 before dropping the book. I'm not hooked, but if it really draws me in on the next 3 volumes, than I'll have to be on the lookout for the last three volumes.
Finally: I reread Bendis' run on Daredevil and read Brubaker's run (which is not as good as Bendis but still quite good). I may do a long through column about my love for Daredevil involving these two runs along with Miller's run, and the other stories I've read, so I'll hold back until another re-read and until all this stuff gets a bit more dated. Anyways, Daredevil is one of...if not my absolute FAVORITE marvel character of all time and if you haven't read it, you should Miller's famous run and his two other arcs (Born Again and The Man Without Fear), Smith's Run: Guardian Devil, Bendis 10 TPB run, Daredevil Yellow, Daredevil: Redemption, and Daredevil by Brubaker. It's all great with Bendis' run being my favorite of the bunch.
Also read Walking Dead vols. 9-10, be on the look out for my thoughts about these in the near future, in all honesty, you may not like what you read.
WHEW! That's all for now folks.
As a recap here's what's coming up:
Smallville Running Diary.
Walking Dead vols. 9-10.
X-factor visionaries vols. 1-4 by Peter David, to set up next years read of the new X-factor series.
And another Morrison book WE3, can he finally win me over?
The Lowdown: A re-imagining of the popular comic and film franchise, X-men, where the title characters are de-aged into teenagers in a high-school setting.
The Review: Here I am back at it again with more X-men Evolution. Since the first season kiddied up the X-men concept and castrated the complexity of the X-men world and it's characters, it left me wary on how the show would progress. Would it continue in it's cutesy direction that only a pre-teen could love or would it grow a pair of balls and satisfy the child, the teen, and the adult audience?
Well, in short, X-men: Evolution season 2 is a huge, gigantic step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it takes most of the season to make that step. It's understandable, and was a good decision to slow burn the dark tonal shift. This shift plays into one of the major themes of the season, HIDDEN IDENTITIES. In the Evolution world, mutants are largely hidden and most of the X-men can hide amongst the regulars. There's quite a few episodes that play into the non-exposure of mutants and it's one of Beast's struggles during this season. By the time the season comes to it's excellent conclusion (the last three episodes), you can see all the little nuances tying together.
But before I get ahead of myself, heck I almost jumped into my hopes and impressions for season 3, let me jump back to the beginning of the second season. The whole season takes on a fresh slate feel. Although the Brotherhood and X-men fight (again!) in the early episodes, it doesn't seem as stale. Why, you may ask? Because this time around it's not just about recruitment, and heck they only fight once (motivated by the main theme mentioned earlier) in the early part of the season, most of the rest is just petty arguments. It makes sense, because of the age group of these mutants, they're less likely to be involved in constant super hero team clashes. It didn't mesh well in the season before, and the season before made it occur in almost every single episode.
Also, from the very beginning, Xavier's school has a larger population of mutant students, making it seem like an actual school instead of a superhero bootcamp. There are a ton new mutants that often take supporting roles in many of the characters. Some are takes on the classic New Mutant series (Cannonball, Magma), one is a classic X-character (Iceman) and my favorites are takes on the X-factor team (Rahne/Wolfsbane and Madrox/Multiple Man). There's others that make constant cameos and this is one thing that really livens up and freshens up the series from the get-go.
Another reason why this season is better is simply the writing is crisper, this time around the high-school concept is only a backdrop instead of consuming the series every episode. The stakes are often larger, although small-scale enough for teenager mutants to deal with, and the adults take more important roles throughout but are less dictating and more subdued in their manipulation (speaking specifically of Mystique and Magneto). The children also engage in very high-school things, they act like teenage kids, they have crushes, they often engage in pranks, and they are underdeveloped in their ability to handle emotion. The romantic subplots become another huge theme and also are better parts of the series, they really add little nuances, and slowly develop like real relationships. The chemistry between the character is much more spot on and the fight sequences have improved as well. (As an aside: For animate, Nothing has been able to top the amazing fight choreography of the Spectacular Spider-man series, WOOO!)
Of course the season is fantastic, it's still got kiddified plots, but they're handled much better than before. Outside of a few dud episodes, the season is solidly above average, sometimes good, but not anywhere near great or fantastic. Some plots are still rather boring, and the series is rather tied to the high-school concept limiting the depth and complexity that the plots can have. But when the series hits its stride near the end of the season it really hits its stride. Those last 3 episodes (Hex Factor, Day of Reckoning Part 1-2) are the best three episodes of the season (along with On Angel's Wings). And frankly the ending of the season makes you glad you stuck around because the tone of the show completely changes to a more mature, dark feel.
OVERALL: It's a solid season that's a rather fun adaptation, but still can be rather dull at points. Lots of bonus points for the pre-finale episode and finale two-parter. It's a barnburner that makes you excited for things to come.
By Peter David and Pablo Raimondi
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