Whether by design or providence, The Dork Review again delivers timely comic book material to the masses...this time in the form of Secret Origins #42 (July 1989).
Femme Noir: a review of chapters 1-7
Overview & Rating
Christopher Mills' and Joe Staton's Femme Noir is another of those comics that straddles the line between hard-boiled detective and superhero (e.g., Spirit, Midnight, the Question, etc.). What is a little unique, however, is that none of the other fedora-ed and trench-coated heroes--at least, not in their original iterations--were female.
The stories are set in the appropriately grim-sounding Port Nocturne. The mystery of the heroine’s identity functions as a macguffin to keep the reader’s interest--at least that’s what it did for me. This is no mere oversight, but rather a crucial part of Mills’ and Staton’s story-telling strategy:
When this story first appeared...a number of reviewers, accustomed to comic book characters having colorful monikers, mistakenly began referring to the mysterious heroine of Femme Noir as “Blonde Justice.” To set the record straight, the character is never called “Blonde Justice” or even “Femme Noir.” She has no name at all. Various characters may call her “The Blonde,” or other descriptive appellation, but our mystery woman has no super-hero codename, “Blonde Justice” or otherwise. (Mills, C. (2013, August 21). Blonde justice: page two.
While playing their cards so close to the vest is initially enticing for the reader, I certainly hope Mills and Staton either reveal more in print, or have plans to do so in the future. Otherwise, at some point the effect of their tactics shift from being intriguing to irritating.
The webcomic is currently divided into seven stand-alone stories, characterized by a diversity of storylines/threats. The heroine faces off against gangsters, genetic monsters, robots, jungle warrior women, and more!
Sustainability - 2
Femme Noir started as one feature of the website Supernatural Crime in 2001, and made its print debut in The Dark City Diaries. In August 2013, the webcomic version (of at least some) of the stories was introduced. Unfortunately, it came to a rather abrupt halt in June 2016 when Mills reported:
The computer where these files were stored isn’t working right now, and I haven’t had the resources to get it repaired. Hopefully, we’ll be able to finish it soon. Sorry. (Mills, C. (2016, October 6). An eye for a spy: page seven.
Given that that was over a year ago--and there's still no resolution--I'm skeptical that we'll see any more free Femme Noir.
Language - 3
Some of the themes dealt with in Femme Noir are psychologically dark. Not surprisingly, this leads to dialogue that includes cursing, as well as referring to God in a rather flippant manner.
Violence - 4
The violence of FN matches its dark genre. Port Nocturne is no sunshiney world...nor are the people who inhabit it.
Sexuality - 4
There is a certain amount of sensual imagery (e.g., lounge singer Dahlia Blue, or the heroine's fishnet stockings) but I don't see much reason to be concerned about kids being exposed to inappropriate images/innuendo.
Political Leanings - 4
FN participates in the familiar noir theme of ineffective police forces and corrupt local government. (see here) Though the heroine stands outside the system--in the attempt to ensure justice for those who fall through the cracks--she stops short of issuing a blanket condemnation of the entire municipal order.
A secondary theme one could call “political” is the feminist theme. Through the seven chapters, I cannot recall any instance where the villain is a female. Though there are some good men depicted in the work (e.g., Lt. Riley) they typically come across with some sort of regrettable flaw (e.g., well-intentioned...but impotent). Overall, I’d feel pretty comfortable describing this as a feminist work.
Morality - 4
There is a certain eye-for-eye-and-tooth-for-tooth perspective on justice; yet I wouldn't say the heroine acts exclusively as judge, jury, and executioner. One has the sense--at least sometimes--that the fate of Port Nocturne's citizens (the good, the bad, and the ugly) is being determined by a Higher Power.
Artwork - 5
Staton spent years honing his craft at Charlton, Marvel, and DC...and it shows. While I personally prefer comics with more vibrant colors, for the type of story FN is, Staton hit the nail right on the head.
Storytelling - 4
The storytelling is good, if a bit quirky. The tales frequently seem to focus on everyone except the heroine. As often as not, she is more of a deus ex machina for resolving the problems of the other characters.
Overall Rating: 3.75
Individual Chapter Synopses
Blonde Justice
In the first story, the reader eavesdrops on a reporter mulling the true identity of the heroine. He has three suspects: orphaned mob daughter Vanessa DeMilo ; lounge singer Dahlia Blue ; and ace reporter Laurel Lye. Three short vignettes follow illustrating the reasons for thinking each might be the heroine. Unsurprisingly, the chapter closes with no definitive answer regarding the heroine’s identity. The only thing we do know, is that the Port needs her.The Dingus
Chapter two follows the drama of an ancient and valuable mask (constantly referred to as a “dingus” by the narrating character) and the three-way race between private investigator Red “Rusty” Nales, millionaire K. Burton Smythe, and the heroine to acquire it.
Dead Man’s Hand
The third story highlights the terrible burden of regret as gambling addict Roman Sidaris struggles to escape the debts owed to one, King Diamond; while hiding the shame of his addiction from his wife, Eden. After Eden is murdered, it’s up to the heroine to seek justice for her, while simultaneously trying to free her husband from Diamond’s grip. 
This short story strikes one as an homage to the monster movies of the 1950s. Playing the role of the mad scientist is Dr. Paul Carstairs, disgruntled chief chemist of Kieth Cosmetics. Perceiving himself sleighted by his employer, Carstairs has orchestrated a number of assassinations-via-monster, until the intervention of the heroine.
Common street thug Vic Tobor, survives a drive-by and stumbles into the laboratory of Dr. Otto Capek. The next evening, Miss Molly Gunn is called to identify the body of Tobor. One week later, she’s reading reports of a crime spree when a robotic figure steps from the shadows and reveals himself as the supposedly-deceased Vic.
While investigating the robberies, the heroine discovers Dr. Capek being held captive at Vic’s salvage shop hideout. The conflicted Molly refuses to leave Tobor, but pledges she will do what she can to help the heroine free Capek.
Unfortunately, Vic prevents the escape. When Molly tries to intercede, Tobor ends up killing her simply because she shrinks away from his metallic touch. The heroine taunts him, “You may have a big body now, Vic--but you’re still a very small man.”
Concrete Jungle
500 years ago, a meteor rocketed toward the South Pacific. So begins the story of the "Concrete Jungle," which sees a number of distinguished members of the Port Nocturne Adventurer's Society executed by a huge primitive-looking warrior woman.
Meanwhile, our heroine is busy cleaning up the Port’s bottom-feeders when she spots the Stone Age assassin leaping from rooftop to rooftop. When she overhears two policemen commenting on the triple homicide, she decides to investigate. Ultimately, her investigation leads the heroine to the home of Professor Mycroft Powell.
Powell relates that 18 months prior, he was part of a South Seas exploratory trip to a previously uncharted island believed to house the ruins of an advanced civilization...and lost treasure. Mycroft claims that upon reaching the island, the party was set upon by monsters. At the last moment, deliverance came in the form of a “magnificent [human] woman” and a tribe of reptillic anthropoids.
In the yarn Mycroft spins, he and the others encountered islanders lived in a “ramshackle village,” on a previously unknown island, from whom he “purchased” their prized possession--the Orb--in “a very amicable transaction.” Skeptical, the heroine nevertheless asks to be directed to the Orb’s current location.
The two avenging women finally meet at the warehouse where Mycroft had stashed the Orb. Okona announces her intention to kill the thief and retrieve the Orb. Initially, the heroine steps in to “prevent anymore bloodshed tonight,” but her battle banter with Okona causes the heroine to seriously question Powell’s version. An Eye for a Spy
The final tale introduces the short-lived Rex Devlin, Agent 09 of America’s Top Secret Division (TSD). He is pursued by foreign agents, who corner Devlin in an alley when the heroine interrupts. Gunplay ensues. Devlin and the heroine succeed in killing most of their attackers and forcing the final one, Luger, to flee. Unfortunately, Agent 09 is mortally wounded in the fight.
As Devlin lay dying he pleads with the heroine to, “complete my mission.” The TSD had information on the spy ring's plans for a political assassination, but Devlin was intercepted before he could meet the informant and determine the target's identity.
We then cut away to a nondescript townhouse where the aforementioned Luger is reporting to his superior. Luger assures his boss that Devlin is, indeed, dead...but explains that the intervention of the heroine accounts for rest of the strike team's absence. The incredulous superior asks how this could possibly have happened, and Luger insists that, “She was no ordinary woman.”
As of today (10/30/2017), the story ends abruptly with the final panel depicting the heroine standing outside a building entitled, the Casa Isabella (one presumes this may be the building in which Luger is meeting his superior.)
Fiction Foundry 16
As they neared the far edge of the plant, Mike spied the top of Ather
Stadium through a gap between two buildings. "Almost there," he
whispered. The space was so restrictive the trio had to move through it
in single file: Mike in the lead, Mary second, and Desmond bringing up
the rear.
Mike was about half-way through the pass when it happened. "What was that?!" Desmond blurted out. Mike was about to scold him for potentially getting them all caught, but stopped short when he felt a mild electric shock in his own legs. An instant later, he realized the tingle wasn't coming from current, but from the ground itself.
"Whoa! Is this a...an earthquake?" asked Mary, her eyes as big as dinner plates. "No. It's got to be--" Mike was about to say "construction," but was interrupted by a violent tremor and the squeal of heavy gauge metal pipe tearing apart.
SWOOSH! An instant later, the kids were awash in a foul-smelling yellow liquid gushing from the busted pipe. It filled Mike's eyes and nostrils, burning and leaving him so nauseous he dropped to his knees instantly.
Mike was about half-way through the pass when it happened. "What was that?!" Desmond blurted out. Mike was about to scold him for potentially getting them all caught, but stopped short when he felt a mild electric shock in his own legs. An instant later, he realized the tingle wasn't coming from current, but from the ground itself.
"Whoa! Is this a...an earthquake?" asked Mary, her eyes as big as dinner plates. "No. It's got to be--" Mike was about to say "construction," but was interrupted by a violent tremor and the squeal of heavy gauge metal pipe tearing apart.
SWOOSH! An instant later, the kids were awash in a foul-smelling yellow liquid gushing from the busted pipe. It filled Mike's eyes and nostrils, burning and leaving him so nauseous he dropped to his knees instantly.
Smash Comics #29: The Return of Chango the Magician
Smash Comics #29 sees the return of a classic Midnight villain: Chango the Magician!
In his prior appearance, Chango was depicted as a failed vaudeville entertainer who resorted to crime to exact vengeance against the "fickle" public. This story shows how the villain has evolved (or, rather, devolved) into a more bloodthirsty personality.
The evidence smacks the reader in the face on the second page. Chango throttles Judge J. J. Farnsby, leaving his corpse in the bed, and pilfering the cash in the dead jurist's safe. Since Chango passed through the wall in order to kill Farnsby, it begs the question why he couldn't simply have passed through the safe and seized the cash without the need for homicide. I hypothesize it's because Chango has developed a taste for murder. He likes the rush of exercising the power of life and death over others.
While reporting on Farnsby's murder for UXAM radio news, Dave Clark (alias Midnight) sends a coded signal to his companions, Gabby the talking monkey and Doc Wackey, to begin an investigation. Gab heads out to case the Farnsby residence but as fortune (or is it Providence?) would have it, he collides with a pedestrian who turns out to be Chango's henchman. When, in a moment of thoughtlessness, Gabby yells "Why don't you watch where yer--" it piques the interest of the enterprising criminal, who immediately "monkey-naps" Gab because his boss (who is now masquerading as "The Great Swami") "could use a freak like you!"
When the henchman presents Gab to his boss, the simian sentinel is--predictably--unwilling to serve as a performing monkey. In the attempt to make him talk, the henchman hits Gab hard enough to surreptitiously turn on the latter's wrist radio. This is how Midnight is alerted that Gab has been captured--and that he's being held by Midnight's old enemy, Chango the Magician!
Using the wrist radio and visoscope, Wackey is able to zero in on Gabby's location and then surveil what's happening. This leads to the revelation that Chango is running a fortune-telling scam (in the persona of the Great Swami) where he lures people in to tell them their fortune, then hypnotizes them and gets them to reveal where their valuables are kept.
Keeping with his action-oriented nature, our hero crashes through the door of Chango's hideout and the standard donnybrook ensues. Alas! While Midnight is distracted dealing with the henchman, the Mad Magician seizes the initiative--transforming our hero into a dog!
Fortunately for Midnight and Gab, the exercise of Chango's power seems to require ongoing focused concentration. In order to transform Midnight into the crime-fighting canine, Chango had to relax his hypnotic hold on Gabby. The monkey, then, launches his own attack, which in turn distracts Chango allowing Midnight to revert to his true form and renew the fight. Sensing he's lost the momentum, Chango teleports away, henchman in tow.
Midnight, however, is not giving up. He and Gabby head to the home of "the Swami's" last known customer, Omar Smythe. Midnight intends to use his old strategy of impersonation. He'll pose as Smythe in the latter's home, in the hopes of catching Chango in the act of robbery.
Sure enough, at the stroke of Midnight Chango enters the room through the wall and Wackey (who's been overwatching the entire operation through the visoscope) springs the trap. Midnight and Gab take to pummeling Chango. Their strategy is to ensure the villain can't focus and bring his magic to bear. Once they assume he's been knocked groggy, they let up. This turns out to be the critical error, as Chango regains enough sense to escape by passing through the floor.
Cole treats the reader to a classic ending wherein Midnight and Gab break the fourth wall--the former to pledge that, "someday we're going to nail [Chango] right!" and the latter to raise suspense and tension in the reader by retorting, "If he doesn't nail us first!"
The evidence smacks the reader in the face on the second page. Chango throttles Judge J. J. Farnsby, leaving his corpse in the bed, and pilfering the cash in the dead jurist's safe. Since Chango passed through the wall in order to kill Farnsby, it begs the question why he couldn't simply have passed through the safe and seized the cash without the need for homicide. I hypothesize it's because Chango has developed a taste for murder. He likes the rush of exercising the power of life and death over others.
While reporting on Farnsby's murder for UXAM radio news, Dave Clark (alias Midnight) sends a coded signal to his companions, Gabby the talking monkey and Doc Wackey, to begin an investigation. Gab heads out to case the Farnsby residence but as fortune (or is it Providence?) would have it, he collides with a pedestrian who turns out to be Chango's henchman. When, in a moment of thoughtlessness, Gabby yells "Why don't you watch where yer--" it piques the interest of the enterprising criminal, who immediately "monkey-naps" Gab because his boss (who is now masquerading as "The Great Swami") "could use a freak like you!"
When the henchman presents Gab to his boss, the simian sentinel is--predictably--unwilling to serve as a performing monkey. In the attempt to make him talk, the henchman hits Gab hard enough to surreptitiously turn on the latter's wrist radio. This is how Midnight is alerted that Gab has been captured--and that he's being held by Midnight's old enemy, Chango the Magician!Using the wrist radio and visoscope, Wackey is able to zero in on Gabby's location and then surveil what's happening. This leads to the revelation that Chango is running a fortune-telling scam (in the persona of the Great Swami) where he lures people in to tell them their fortune, then hypnotizes them and gets them to reveal where their valuables are kept.
Keeping with his action-oriented nature, our hero crashes through the door of Chango's hideout and the standard donnybrook ensues. Alas! While Midnight is distracted dealing with the henchman, the Mad Magician seizes the initiative--transforming our hero into a dog!
Fortunately for Midnight and Gab, the exercise of Chango's power seems to require ongoing focused concentration. In order to transform Midnight into the crime-fighting canine, Chango had to relax his hypnotic hold on Gabby. The monkey, then, launches his own attack, which in turn distracts Chango allowing Midnight to revert to his true form and renew the fight. Sensing he's lost the momentum, Chango teleports away, henchman in tow.
Midnight, however, is not giving up. He and Gabby head to the home of "the Swami's" last known customer, Omar Smythe. Midnight intends to use his old strategy of impersonation. He'll pose as Smythe in the latter's home, in the hopes of catching Chango in the act of robbery.
Cole treats the reader to a classic ending wherein Midnight and Gab break the fourth wall--the former to pledge that, "someday we're going to nail [Chango] right!" and the latter to raise suspense and tension in the reader by retorting, "If he doesn't nail us first!"
Fiction Foundry 15
Mike cast about for a solution. When he spotted the dilapidated
security fence marking the perimeter of the Gammon Chemical Plant, the
tiniest flame of an idea was ignited...one that would quickly turn into
an inferno.
Taking up the equivalent of at least six city blocks, the plant was the largest single obstacle to getting directly to the stadium. After a moment of silent reflection, Mike announced, "C'mon. We can cut through here." After wriggling through a loose section in the fence, Mike held the chain link back to create as wide an opening as he could for Mary and Desmond.
Despite it being a Sunday, GCP never really "shut down" completely. There was always at least a skeleton crew making sure no major spills or health hazards took place. Consequently, Mike and his entourage would have to take care to avoid notice, as trespassing was not only illegal, but--in all likelihood--would result in a permanent grounding their parents ever found out.
The trio silently wove through the labyrinth of pipes transporting who-knows-what to who-knows-where.
Taking up the equivalent of at least six city blocks, the plant was the largest single obstacle to getting directly to the stadium. After a moment of silent reflection, Mike announced, "C'mon. We can cut through here." After wriggling through a loose section in the fence, Mike held the chain link back to create as wide an opening as he could for Mary and Desmond.
Despite it being a Sunday, GCP never really "shut down" completely. There was always at least a skeleton crew making sure no major spills or health hazards took place. Consequently, Mike and his entourage would have to take care to avoid notice, as trespassing was not only illegal, but--in all likelihood--would result in a permanent grounding their parents ever found out.
The trio silently wove through the labyrinth of pipes transporting who-knows-what to who-knows-where.
Freedom Fighters: the other FF
The good folks over at The Dork Review once again gave me reason to be thankful. This time, they were kind enough to provide a little more background on a superhero team that I basically knew only as a name: The Freedom Fighters. They did this by sharing the character profiles of each member of the Freedom Fighters, along with a generalized team origin and profile. At least some of these come from the previously mentioned 1988 DC Who's Who Update.
Comic Vine's entry on the Freedom Fighters illustrates this with their careful language about Midnight vis-a-vis the FF.
As part of that retcon, Secret Origins #26 revealed that most of the original Freedom Fighters (Invisible Hood, Miss America, Neon the Unknown, and the Red Torpedo) actually survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. In addition, instead of being a team whose sole purpose was to travel to Earth-X, the retconned Freedom Fighters was a more fluid group. Other heroes were said to be more important players in the team, including the Jester, Midnight, and Miss America. [emphasis added]
In the wake of the Crisis, the DC multiverse was condensed into a universe. Because of that, the Freedom Fighters’ history changed. With a single Earth, there was no longer an Earth-X. This meant that the Freedom Fighters were simply an offshoot team of the All-Star Squadron that fought during the unified Earth’s World War II. Also in this new history, the Freedom Fighters helped the newly-formed Justice League fend off the second Apellaxian invasion, and had gained new members, including Midnight and the Jester. [emphasis added]
So, in the end, I'm left to wonder: Were there any actual comic books in which Midnight fought alongside the FF, or are there simply allusions to his having done so in some set of unrecorded adventures? Outside of character and team bios, I couldn't even locate a good image through Google search depicting Midnight along with the rest of the Freedom Fighters. So what's the deal here? Can anyone else confirm or deny my impression?
Fiction Foundry 14
Despite his best efforts, during the ensuing half-hour hike Mike had only managed to get a few words in with Mary. The girl really was crazy for baseball: bases stolen, pennants won, RBIs. Fortunately, since she was talking pretty much non-stop, all Mike had to do was nod and go "uh-huh...yeah...totally." Trying to fake like he understood (or cared) about any of it was wearing Mike out.
Honestly, he was a little jealous of Desmond. Mary didn't seem to have any expectations of her brother when it came to listening to her baseball talk. Mike was beginning to wonder why Mrs. Potain seemed so insistent that Desmond be a part of this trip in the first place. Could it be that Desmond's job was to keep an eye on Mike?
"How much further?" Mary asked. "I can hear the opening announcements."
"Still a couple of blocks," Mike replied.
"Isn't there anyway we can get there faster?"
Honestly, he was a little jealous of Desmond. Mary didn't seem to have any expectations of her brother when it came to listening to her baseball talk. Mike was beginning to wonder why Mrs. Potain seemed so insistent that Desmond be a part of this trip in the first place. Could it be that Desmond's job was to keep an eye on Mike?
"How much further?" Mary asked. "I can hear the opening announcements."
"Still a couple of blocks," Mike replied.
"Isn't there anyway we can get there faster?"
What was Jack Cole smoking? : Midnight in Smash Comics #28
The Midnight story for Smash Comics # 28 begins with our hero intercepting a gang of bank robbers. Actually, he was waiting on the roof of the very institution they robbed. Suctioning them one by one with the vacuum gun as they make their exit, Gabby dispatches each one with a 2x4 as Midnight reels them in.
With all but one of the thugs knocked unconscious the reader is prepared for a two page story. At the last moment, however, the lone remaining bad guy hurls a vial of nitro at a water tank, flooding the roof and reviving his buddies.
In the chaos the criminals flee to a getaway car on the street. Initially, I thought this bio-mechanically awkward panel depicting Midnight entering his own convertible was going to be the weirdest of the comic...
but I was wrong...soooooooo very wrong.
After pursuing the baddies out of the city, the heroes are shocked when their quarry ditch the Duesenberg for a boat. Yes, a boat in the middle of the woods! Oh, but it gets better friends. I'll let Midnight explain it to you:
Our intrepid heroes track the bad guys to an abandoned castle. While seeking access they are captured. An unnamed (but freakish-looking) leader announces that the bank job was merely a ruse to trap Midnight so he could not interfere with the "great things" planned for the gang's future.
 |
| Seriously, what's going on here? Is this supposed to be some sort of anti-Japanese caricature; or is it just a case of terrible artwork? |
After bragging about the inescapable nature of his trap, the chief felon despatches his underlings to seize "every dollar" in Big City. Adding insult to injury, he announces he'll be keeping Gabby as his own personal pet.
The justice monkey, however, isn't going to take this lying down. When the crime boss tries to buy Gabby's loyalty with an orange, the littlest crime fighter hurls it right back in his face. In his anger, the thug tries to hit Gab with his "liquefying ray," but manages only to hit the chain he'd been using to restrain Gabby. After a clumsy lunge at Gabby, the bad guy plummets out a window and into the castle's moat of electric eels, thus bringing his role in the story to a sudden end.
The furry sentinel grabs the hand-held ray and scours the castle for Midnight. Upon freeing him, Gabby relates the scoundrels' plan and the two head off to save Big City from a fleecing.
Meanwhile, the liquefying ray is being used to great effect on both animate and inanimate targets.
When Midnight and Gabby catch up to the land-faring pirates, stopping them is literally as simple as Gabby flashing their boat with the hand-held liquefying ray--which for reasons utterly unexplained causes the land-boat to explode, rather than liquefy?!
Yep. The question marks from Gabby and Midnight pretty much say it all. I'm guessing Cole must've been really busy and up against a hard deadline on this one. The only adjective that seems appropriate to describe this deus ex machina ending is "craptastic."
Fiction Foundry 13
"Did I hear some of you are planning to go to the Apes' game?" the pastor continued. "If so, you better hurry. The opening pitch is at 1:30."
Seizing the opportunity, Mike made his move. "It's not too far to the stadium. If we left now, we'd have time to walk there."
"Michael, I'm not sure that's a--" Jeanine began...but it was too late.
"Yeah! Let's race!" Mary said as she turned and sprinted for the exit.
Big Mike looked at Jeanine. "Honey, I'm sure they'll be fine. Atherton is a safe place."
"Yeah, mom. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?!" Mike begged.
Her son's puppy-dog eyes were the final straw needed to collapse Jeanine's will-to-resist.
"Okay, okay...I see when I'm beat. Just be careful."
"You got it!" Mike fairly shouted before giving his mother an unusually tight hug. With that, the kids raced out the church doors and into a brave new world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thirty minutes later, the trio were hot, sweaty, and (with the exception of Mary) considerably less excited about the ballgame.
Seizing the opportunity, Mike made his move. "It's not too far to the stadium. If we left now, we'd have time to walk there."
"Michael, I'm not sure that's a--" Jeanine began...but it was too late.
"Yeah! Let's race!" Mary said as she turned and sprinted for the exit.
Big Mike looked at Jeanine. "Honey, I'm sure they'll be fine. Atherton is a safe place."
"Yeah, mom. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?!" Mike begged.
Her son's puppy-dog eyes were the final straw needed to collapse Jeanine's will-to-resist.
"Okay, okay...I see when I'm beat. Just be careful."
"You got it!" Mike fairly shouted before giving his mother an unusually tight hug. With that, the kids raced out the church doors and into a brave new world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thirty minutes later, the trio were hot, sweaty, and (with the exception of Mary) considerably less excited about the ballgame.
Marvel's Inhumans: the view from Spring Road
I just finished watching the opening episode of Marvel's Inhumans. Given the early feedback I'd read on comic blogs and YouTube channels, I was expecting to be dramatically underwhelmed...at best.
Honestly, I don't get all the negativity. The show seemed pretty good to me. It did a nice job introducing the internal dynamics of the royal family and slowly revealing what a backstabbing schemer Maximus is.
While I would've preferred a closer adherence to the classic comic depictions, there's just some things you can't easily translate from the animated world to the live action one. (Exhibit A: the loss of Captain America's classic "head wings" in the MCU movies).
At the risk of labelling myself an unsophisticated boob, I'm going to say that I actually like the first episode of the Inhumans, and am eager to see more.
There. I said it. Now, let the mockery and nerd-shaming ensue. 😎
Honestly, I don't get all the negativity. The show seemed pretty good to me. It did a nice job introducing the internal dynamics of the royal family and slowly revealing what a backstabbing schemer Maximus is.
While I would've preferred a closer adherence to the classic comic depictions, there's just some things you can't easily translate from the animated world to the live action one. (Exhibit A: the loss of Captain America's classic "head wings" in the MCU movies).
At the risk of labelling myself an unsophisticated boob, I'm going to say that I actually like the first episode of the Inhumans, and am eager to see more.
There. I said it. Now, let the mockery and nerd-shaming ensue. 😎
Kronies: They're konnected!
From the little perusing of comic blogs I'm able to do, I've gotten the distinct impression that--as a libertarian--I'm part of a minority of superhero fans.
Imagine my joy, then, when I ran across the Kronies (a tongue-in-cheek gibe at the corruption that comes with leviathan government). Though these brilliant products of John Papola's Emergent Order are currently just jokes, here's hoping for the advent of Kronies comics. If the cartoon short is any indication, it would be epic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Year 3: the rear-view mirror Social media strategy 2.0 Revamping the blog's social media marketing was one of those plans that j...
-
After a hiatus of over a year, I'm ready to renew posting here at the ole Spring Road Super Review! First, let me say a special "t...
-
Readers, First, let me apologize for missing last week's post. Second, let me apologize that for this week (and perhaps future weeks) ...
-
This story gets off to a bit of a slow start. Yet another adventure that begins in the laboratory of Doc Wackey, this tale hit newsstands ... -
My first memory of DC's cosmic warlord Tyr was his appearance as an action figure in Kenner's third series (1986) of Super Powers a...
-
Meanwhile, despairing of their pal ever returning with the promised pork chops, Wackey and Gab have stepped out and are on their way to pi... -
It seems like we've been on a tear recently with Midnight adventures centering--one way or another--around one-off female characte... -
As the tale of "The Circus Mystery" (Smash Comics # 24 : July, 1941) begins, Dave Clark tells sidekicks, Gabby the talking monke... -
Overview Whenever you see one of those lists of "lamest superheroes" there's a really good chance that somewhere on ther... -
While re-reading through some of my old comics, I ran across yet another obscure character I'd kind of forgotten. The final story in S...
