Why differences between the comic books and the film matter..
May 1st is going to disappoint a lot of Wolverine fans. It’s going to enrage a lot of every single Deadpool fan. Gambit and Emma Frost fans are going to feel slighted. Hell, the three Blob super-fans out there are going to have to commiserate over a bucket of fried chicken skins after seeing Wolverine: Origins. To a Marvel comic book reader, the movie is that bad.
To non-comic book readers, the movie might be a mindless, action-filled romp, which is apparently all Fox wanted this movie to be. To fans of the comic book characters, the movie will be yet another example of why Fox should keep their hands off of Marvel properties.
Think about it. The most successful comic book movies have been films that, above all, stay true to the characters they are representing from the comic books. The Dark Knight takes enormous liberties with the details of how Bruce Wayne manages to be the caped crusader, but the movie never falters on the reasons why he does what he does. The first two Spider-Man films might diverge from the stories as presented in the comics, but they don’t infringe on who Peter Parker is, who Spider-Man has historically been (and even the third can only be faulted for how poorly the symbiote’s influence on Parker was portrayed). And the first two X-Men films, while not presenting the exact stories from the books, get the characters right.
Even with Storm's bad hair, you can still recognize each character
Look at the failed superhero movies: Daredevil, while not a complete bomb, tried to make the Man Without Fear into a Spider-Man/Batman hybrid. He’s not. It should be the simplest thing in the world to make a solid Punisher movie, but it hasn’t happened yet. Elektra might as well not have been about the Marvel character. The Fantastic Four films chose to go cheap on characterization, heavy on the campiness, and any sense of these characters beyond cartoons is never allowed. The casting wasn’t all that great, either (note: when re-booting, keep that guy who played Johnny Storm, can the rest – yes, including Jessica Alba – and make the Thing CGI).
Shouldn't The Thing look more physically imposing?
Wolverine: Origins commits the same damn mistake that those latter films do: it’s not true to the source material. Listen, I could care less how Ryan Reynolds character becomes Deadpool, so long as the figure called Deadpool is a mouthy killer who’s good with all kinds of weapons. He shouldn’t shoot Cyclops’ beams out of his eyes nor should swords the length of his arms come out of his forearms, AND HIS MOUTH SHOULDN’T BE SEWN SHUT! And it follows that if a prior film suggests that Wolverine has a dark past (you know, like X2 – and all of Marvel continuity – suggests), I’d expect to see some dark times rather than a character that is utterly heroic and noble throughout his entire life. As the tagline suggests, what Wolverine does isn’t very nice.
FOX studio's version of Deadpool - I'm not kidding.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the most successful comic books films remain true to the source material. There’s a reason these characters have remained popular with readers for decades, and when a studio disregards these qualities in favor of a chance to dazzle with some meaningless special effect, they are not creating a Wolverine movie, a Marvel movie, or a DC movie, but a _______ studio movie.
And that’s not what comic fans are paying to see.
Thor #600
Thor #600 is the latest effort by the powers-that-be over at Marvel to rip the hearts out of Thor fan-boys like me. And you know the worst thing about it? It is the culmination of the best storyline Marvel has published in the past year.
It is clear that J. Michael Straczynski, the writer of Thor who has done an exquisite job of resurrecting him, loves an evil scheme. In issue #600, Loki’s machinations, which have been several lifetimes in the making, come to fruition in a big way.
The story opens with Loki restoring Bor, the father of Odin, in the middle of New York City. Bor goes mad due to Loki’s manipulations, threatening to lay waste to the entire world. This draws Thor into a battle that he realizes can only end one way, although he makes every effort to avoid it. He even calls on the Avengers only to be betrayed by a wicked Dark Avengers cameo. This ultimately forces his hand against Bor, and thus Loki’s trap is sprung which will have major implications for Thor, Asgard, and the Marvel Universe.
[On a side-note, let me get this straight: Thor has the Odin-force, can take out Bor (a god) AND the entire squad of Dark Avengers, yet he gets beat up by the Red Hulk? I'm calling bullsh*t on that entire red Hulk series.]
While it comes at considerable cost, I expect Thor #600 will mark Thor’s return to a more active role in the “real world” of the Marvel Universe as opposed to his Asgardian realm. It also sets up the Asgardians’ possible role in the coming Dark Reign storyline due to the “graciousness” of a certain power-mad monarch. While this is indeed a dark day for Thor and his fans, JMS has created an epic storyline that demands attention.
Hulk vs. Wolverine
Currently trying to save enough money to color it in.
Ah, the joys of being able to knock out two posts via one DVD release.
Marvel has released a two-fer for fans of the Hulk: Hulk Vs. This time around it is Hulk vs. Wolverine, a throwback to the first appearance of the short berserker mutant. But the conflict between the Hulk and Wolvie is more or less a tease here: this is all about the origin of Wolverine and the Weapon X project.
Like the Thor portion of the DVD, HvW is chock full of cameos: Sabretooth, Omega Red, and Lady Deathstrike, among others. But the best lines are (deservedly) saved for Deadpool:
The Merc with a Mouth
“Hey, good buddy. It’s Deadpool. I shot you!”
“What? Babies creep me out. Rock-a-bye BANG!”
“Omega Red’s a bed-wetter . . . he’s very ashamed.”
Brilliant (and many, many others). Now we just need the full-length Deadpool movie.*
Once again, the animation and vocal talent are top notch. One thing I did not expect was the level of violence. Good for Marvel: if you’re going to put a bunch of ruthless dudes who use blades, claws, and fully automatic weapons in the same room who really don’t like each other, blood is going to be spilled. Props to them for not pulling any punches.
*Stick around past the credits.
Hulk vs. Thor, or as I prefer to call it, Thor vs. Hulk
An actual scene from the movie.
Thor vs. Hulk is the latest animated offering from Marvel Comics (coupled with the simultaneous release Hulk vs. Wolverine). Unlike the previous “Ultimate Avengers” DVDs, Thor vs. Hulk focuses on the old-school Thor: red cape, winged helmet, and Mjolnir, his mystical uru hammer.
Full disclosure: I’m a Thor fan-boy. I wear a Mjolnir pendant on a necklace and my office is decorated with Marvel Legends Thor action figures. So while I’ve been looking forward to this movie since it was announced in mid-2008, my expectations were tempered by my typical pessimism that it could turn out to be a disappointment.
My pessimism was unfounded. Marvel has really come through in creating an epic Asgardian tale, wearing the influence of Walt Simonson proudly. Simonson is the writer of Thor’s most significant storyline in the 80′s, and many of the characters he defined make welcome cameos: Skurge, Malekith the Accursed, Surtur, and Balder, among others. The story opens in Asgard, in the midst of the Odin-sleep, when Asgard’s enemies launch their attacks while the kingdom is at its most vulnerable. Enter Loki, who is not content to merely repeat the same old cycle of events: he has kidnapped Bruce Banner and with the aid of Amora the Enchantress, plans to usurp the power of the Hulk to finally rule Asgard.
The production of the video is top-notch, from the artwork to the voice talent to the direction of the battles. One would expect the battles between the Hulk and the God of Thunder to be epic, but even I was impressed by the sheer power and brutality of the blows given and received as the two rage through the streets of Asgard. Thor Vs. Hulk
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