Marvel & DC Vs Everyone Else

With  superhero movies dominating the box office, and their comics now in the forefront of mainstream media are there any alternatives to spandex, super strength and speed?

Many people’s first comic was a superhero comic. Whether it was a Marvel comic like Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, X-force or Avengers, or a DC comic like Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Justice League, Wonder Woman or Green Arrow. Chances are we all started out with one of those titles.

Depending on the time in your life you discovered comics you may or may not feel that the current state of superhero comics in 2016 is a bit stagnate and somewhat frustrating. In the past five years, alone Marvel and DC have rebooted and relaunched their universes numerous times. Countless #1 issues have been appearing on comic shop shelves, which for the most part is to increase sales and to attract new readers.

With superhero movies making big money at the box office this makes sense from a business standpoint. The thing is that rebooting an entire universe messes with some 30-75 years of history depending on the character. This contradicting information can confuse new readers as well as longtime fans, and unfortunately, can anger them to the point of uttering death threats. (Sigh…which is a topic for another article)

The significant events that Marvel and DC have every summer have been criticised as a cash grab. Many Events required you to buy books outside of the main storyline to get the full story. Thankfully recently that has started to change.

That being all said there is a certain predictability to superhero stories. We know when a Character is “killed” off they are never really dead for long. The many crossovers with other books in the universe, with minimal new characters created, makes for a not so bright future for superhero comics.

What I believe we should consider and support are creator-owned comic books. Creator-owned comics are original ideas and intellectual property owned by the creative team. The creators do not answer to a corporate overseer, they have complete control and say in their creation.

Image Comics is a publisher that releases 100% creator-owned comics. In the past four or five years, Image Comics popularity and sales have grown significantly. Thanks to comics like The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman Tony Moore and Charlie Adler, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark and East of West by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. Many of these creators made their name with their work at Marvel and DC, which helped them sell their projects at Image.

Comics publisher IDW has the comic book rights some of the 80’s and 90’s biggest tv shows and movies such as Transformers, G.I Joe, Ghostbusters, Back To The Future, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and My Little Pony. They have also brought back older ones like Godzilla, Star Trek and the Rocketeer. IDW even had the 10th season of X-Files before its recent return to tv back  in January.

Other smaller publishers like Boom Studios, Comix Tribe, Oni Press, and many others offer original comic properties. While it may seem like a risk to invest in non-superhero comics, it’s worth it for the variety available today. You also have countless free webcomics and Kickstarter campaigns from amateurs and professionals.

Don’t get me wrong I still pick up a few superhero titles; I’m not saying there aren’t any good superhero titles at all, just not nearly as many as there used to be. So if you find yourself like me lacking a choice in mainstream comics take a chance with creator-owned comics. When you support them, the creators get the money directly allowing them to help themselves and continue to create great content. Many creators have had some awful experiences with Marvel and or DC so supporting their dreams, in turn, gives you new, exciting comics to read.

It would be great to see creator-owned comics surpass Marvel and DC in sales. Hopefully, that day is soon the odds are in their favour.

 

Bryan Singer Pitches Female Wolverine

So it appears that Bryan Singer is already preparing for life without Hugh Jackaman as Wolverine by pitching the idea of a female Wolverine to Fox. So as we know Jackman is hanging his claws after the third installment of the movie, Singer has revealed in an interview with fandango that he pitched a Fox studios with replacing Jackman with the new female Wolverine Laura Kinney previously X-23.

“I have discussed that with the studio” Singer advised fandango “I actually initially pitched the X-Force and the female”

I’m not 100% convinced that a female Wolverine would work I started reading the comics and did not really connect with the character so stopped after issue 4 as I thought I would give it more of a chance.

Singer also revealed that he has started work on the X-Force movie but it is still just at the ideas stage. He told fandango “Simon Kinberg is the earliest script stage, so that’s kind of where it stands and we’ll see how it evolves”

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Deadpool Review

Much has been made of Deadpool actor, Ryan Reynolds, quest to bring the title hero to the big screen after the characters mishandled debut in Wolverine Origins (2009).

The actors passion however should not be under-sold as it this aspect that shines throughout Deadpools glorious return to the big screen.

Reynolds of course plays the Merc-With-A-Mouth Wade Wilson, a lippy thug-for-hire who finds himself facing certain death after finding out he has terminal cancer. The timing couldn’t be worst given that the rogue has found love in the form of Morena Baccarin’s Vanessa, a hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold and the action flicks self proclaimed “hot chick.”

Wilson soon finds himself going to extreme lengths to cure his ailment leading to our hero unlocking his latent mutant abilities of healing (like X-Men favourite Wolverine) at the expense of Wilson pretty little mug.

Factor in that the bad guy kidnaps his girl after our hero torches villain Ajax’s (Ed Skerin) lab, and Deadpool is out for revenge.

Reynolds who is probably best known for his comedic roles is on fire, mixing in his own sardonic delivery with the quick witted and cult laden retorts that Deadpool is known for. The 4th wall break from the comic books is also present and used to great effect as the story balances classic superhero origin story and kick-ass action.

Supporting appearances from X-Men Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) are a welcome palette cleanser to hyperbolic Wilson, with both making great comedic “straight men“. The scene in which Deadpool literally breaks his limbs trying to beat up Colossus had my fellow cinema goers and myself rolling in the aisle.

If Deadpool has a weakness it would be its over zealous in-jokes with regards to the characters comic-book past. The references will have knowing fans geeking-out while causal viewers might find certain jokes fall flat. But there are enough dirty jokes and movie references peppered in to keep all invested in Wilson fight for revenge.

Overall Deadpool makes up for the beloved Merc’s dire debut, which is referenced, gagged and easter egged on more than one occasion. Tim Miller’s film is not only a worthy addition to the ever expanding X-Men universe but an exciting entry into the weird world of Wade Wilson. Roll on Deadpool 2.

Now … where did I park my Unicorn?

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‘X-Force’ Is Ryan Reynolds Next Passion Project

With Deadpool garnering critical and commercial success, it seems a no-brainer that 20th Century Fox would move ahead with the R-Rated Superhero genre, so it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise that Deadpool 2 is reported as being greenlit already.

A source out of The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Ryan Reynolds Merc-With-A-Mouth will go into production without Director Tim Miller at its helm but thats not to say that the team of Miller, and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick won’t remain together as Fox are keen to keep the three men involved.

As Miller, Reese and Wernick prepare for Deadpool 2, the man himself did reveal recently that an X-Factor film is high on his list as the next comic adaption he wants to get off the ground: “In the future, I think, if we’re doing a bunch more Deadpool movies, we’re gonna really explore the X-Men a lot,” Reynolds quip , adding, “And maybe X-Force. X-Force my priority. I really want to get that in.“

Much like the Deadpool movie, the X-Force comics had a far mature tone than is expected from Marvel with various incarnations of the team dealing with Mutant threats with extreme force. Incidentally at one point Wolverine headed up the team that consisted of Deadpool, Psylocke and Archangel, characters that have all been introduced into the 20th Century Fox Mutant universe. Although Hugh Jackman has gone on record as saying that his time with the Mutant franchise will soon be at an end, maybe a new spin-off franchise might change his mind.

After all, if Reynolds can get a Deadpool movie onto the big screen, maybe a Jackman-Reynolds X-Force movie doesn’t sound all that unrealistic.

Deadpool hits UK Theatres this week.

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