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9. Fantomex’s E.V.A.
8. Captain America’s Motorcycle
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Turtle Van
6. Avengers’ Quinjet
5. X-Men’s Blackbird
4. Batman’s Batmobile
3. Fantastic Four’s Fantasticar
2. Wonder Woman’s Invisible Plane
1. Silver Surfer’s Board
Next: The Top 9 Comic Book Superpowers!
Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.
Here’s what I sent to Neal on the ride home from the movie theater:
Movie was real mediocre. And i stayed all the way thru the credits for nothing! I thought liv tyler was the best actor in it. Roth was good too.
That about sums up how I feel about the whole thing. Now here are a few quick cameo spoilers for those who go to see The Incredible Hulk:
1. Director Louis Leterrier has been spouting off about a Captain America cameo, which is grossly misleading. My guess is that SPOILERS! when Thunderbolt Ross pulls a blue vial out of a weird cryo-bucket marked Dr. Reinstein, that blue goo inside the vial is some “Captain America” (remember, Leterrier never said anything about a Steve Rogers cameo).
2. Is that a secret Luke Cage cameo I saw when the Abomination starts smashing around in Harlem??? This may just be wishful thinking on my part, but we get a quick glimpse at a sizable looking guy running onto the street instead off the street when Harlem is getting torn up. I think this is none other than Carl Lucas a.k.a. Luke Cage. The tipping point: he’s decked out in yellow.
3. Don’t stay past the credits. There’s nothing there. The Tony Stark cameo at the end of the film hits right before the credits, but it looks like it was supposed to follow them. Nick Fury makes no appearances (though his name flashes across the screen briefly). After the credits wrapped, the crowd at my theater was complaining that Nick Fury didn’t show up. Sucks he wasn’t there but how awesome is it to hear moviegoers complaining about a lack of Nick Fury?!!
Iron Man. Can you believe it did so well? I can barely believe it.
The most interesting thing I’m experiencing right now is the stunningly favorable popular sentiment about the quality of the film. People who have never picked up a comic book and never will are telling me how it’s their favorite superhero film they’ve ever seen.
A friend of mine raised a good point — this movie was all about Tony Stark. Iron Man showed up a few times, but we were sold the genius inventor billionaire for the majority of the film instead of the guy in a robot suit.
A great observation, if you ask me. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still shocked by how well this movie has been received. I’m extremely pleased for Marvel Studios, I’ll tell you that. And I’m glad to see that Shellhead is green lit for a sequel. Thor, well, I’m iffy on that.
And 2011? Damn, that should be a fine year for comic book movies. When I was sitting in the theater watching Iron Man, I just kept thinking to myself, “this movie is okay, but how awesome will the Captain America movie be?” Seeing Cap tossing his shield around on the big screen will be a rather religious day for me. No doubt this movie will eclipse the earlier Captain America film.
That same year will see the Avengers movie, if everything goes to plan. Man, how are they going to pull that off? The first test was the Samuel L Jackson cameo after the Iron Man credits. That was good. The next test will be the Robert Downey Jr cameo as Iron Man in The Incredible Hulk. That’s probably my most anticipated movie moment of the year right there.
I know that some have decried the idea of a Captain America movie separate from the Avengers film. My feeling is that we need to see Cap slinging his shield away from the big team to really appreciate the character. We need to see Falcon gliding across the New York City skyline while Cap leaps from rooftop to rooftop. I think we need to see Cap’s mettle tested by going up against the Sons of the Serpent or Hate-Monger.
Not saying I’m right about any of that, mind you. I just think we need to understand Steve Rogers as a man coming to grips with the America that exists outside of his ideals. That way we get a better feel for the motivation and majesty of the person that he is (and there better be some Falcon in there!!!).
P.S. How trippy was it to see Obadiah Stane on a giant movie screen?
Talking about Sifu Kisu, rosin vs. resin, Michael Turner art, Iron Man, Tony Stark, Obadiah Stane, School Daze, Horton Hears a Who, Captain America as a Communist, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Dummy, One Missed Call, Free Comic Book Day 2008, Cyclops in The Castro with no shirt on, fancy cheeses, funny nipple stories, creepy Miley Cyrus pictures, South Park WGA episode, how hookers got the name hookers, The Riches, Mighty Avengers #13, Avengers / Invaders #1, Invincible Iron Man #1, Young X-Men #2, and of course we got more.
What makes a comic book moment memorable?
I was on vacation. It was a bad week in comics to be away from home. Y the Last Man #60 and Captain America #34 hit on the same day – two rather notable moments with immediate interest.
Luckily, I was sent a copy of Cap #34 and I got to see the newest Captain America in action. Oddly enough, the issue didn’t feel important or memorable. I expected more pageantry. Instead I got a “business as usual” feel from the story.
I snagged my copy of Y #60 as soon as I got back into Pittsburgh on Monday night. I set the bar pretty low for this one, considering that the past ten issues of this series have been underwhelming with a maddening ferocity.
But the issue was solid. It was a moody tale that displayed Yorick as a bitter old bastard born from a young wiseass. The story addressed the death of Agent 355 to my satisfaction. My eyes watered when Ampersand kicked the bucket.
And it will be remembered. Regardless of hype or reputation, the ending to Y the Last Man works. For me, the ambiguity of the final pages is convincing enough to call this completion a success. Captain America #34, on the other hand, is a largely forgettable issue.
So what makes a moment memorable? It’s obviously not first appearances. It’s not necessarily grand endings either. I still couldn’t tell you the ending to Watchmen. I remember the innards with clarity, but the conclusion is like a big question mark.
One component is significant change. Yorick has evolved by the time we reach his final issue. Although it’s sad that we didn’t witness his evolution over the course of a serial narrative, at least we get some intensive character growth due to the 60 year jump.
Another component is surprise. Captain America #34 lacked just about any and all surprise, at least in regards to Bucky assuming the Cap mantle. It was foreshadowed heavily and predicated by the previous issue. The conclusion of Y the Last Man, on the other hand, was a veritable cornucopia surprising moments.
And to sell it all, you need characters that communicate with persuasive conviction. This element is communicated through passionate dialogue and convincing causation. Y the Last Man #60 and last week’s New Avengers Annual #2 had this. Captain America #34 needed more of this.
If memory serves me right, I’ll forget I was on vacation when these issues came out. I’ll probably forget most of the hype around their rollout. I’ll also probably forget much of Captain America #34, but I’m sure I’ll remember the minimal melancholy of Y the Last Man #60.
Not too much to say this week on the ComicShocker. I’ve been busy reviewing new comic books and getting the podcast ready for tomorrow. However, I will take the time to pass along two comic book Reads You Need:
Young Avengers Presents #1: Patriot - This solid gold comic book from last week comes from Ed Brubaker and Paco Medina. We follow Patriot, grandson of the first Captain America, Isaiah Walker. Eli is a young superhero that wears the American flag, but sometimes he can’t reconcile the reality of the United States with his feelings about social justice. They often seem to stand in contrast to each other. A good talk with the Winter Solider (in his last appearance before becoming the new Captain America himself) helps Patriot find his own interpretation of patriotism.
New Avengers Annual #2 - This awesome read is set to hit racks this Wednesday. I got a sneak peak because I get paid to review comic books every week, and let me tell you: this issue changes everything for the New Avengers. The team loses an important member, they potentially gain an Initiative recruit, and the least likely ally runs to Tony Stark. Not to mention a huge fight scene where someone kicks the bucket (it is comic books after all, so the bucket is only kicked temporarily). With art by Carlo Pagulayan, Brian Michael Bendis writes another shocker that almost slips out under the radar.
The AudioShocker contains explicit language and themes. If you are not 18, GET OUT!
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