Tag Archive for 'Iron Man'

The Top 9 Marvel Universe Characters That Have Stepped Up Since Civil War

Published
by
nick marino
on November 14, 2008
in Comics, Movies, Music and The Top 9
. 0 Comments

9. Nighthawk - There’s a reason this list starts with Kyle Richmond: he’s stepped up (during and) since Civil War, but not enough to be a rising star. Simply put, Nighthawk is more important in the Marvel Universe now than he was previous to Civil War. Not by a lot, mind you. Just more than before. I thought that his starring role in Last Defenders was a trippy superhero hoot, and I hope that writers continue to push his story further in the direction that Joe Casey kindly put him on.

8. Iron Man - I would be remiss to not include the Iron Avenger in my countdown. Plain and simple, Tony Stark has become the new Wolverine. Now that he has a breakout Hollywood blockbuster under his belt, his street cred is only going up. For readers of Marvel Comics since Civil War, Tony’s star status is a no-brainer. In fact, he’s bordering on overexposure lately, and that’s why he’s so low on this list. The fact remains that Iron Man is more integral to the Marvel Universe now than ever, and it’s safe to say that things will be staying like that for quite some time to come.

7. Hercules - The Lion of Olympus is now the proud owner of his own critically acclaimed solo series (shamelessly stolen from Hulk), and from the looks of things, he’s going to be in Mighty Avengers after Secret Invasion. After smashing the shit out of Clor in the final issue of Civil War, Herc has been on the fast-track to fandom. He’s been the star of some of the best event tie-in stories of the past few years, and if things keep going the way they are right now, Hercules will be one of Marvel’s biggest stars in the upcoming decade.

6. Luke Cage - Carl Lucas was the breakout star of New Avengers following Avengers Disassembled. But following Civil War, Luke took leadership of the team and became this top selling title’s lead character. Luke is now a bonafide staple of the Marvel Universe after languishing on the sidelines for decades. Need proof? Cage gets name-checked by Q-Tip in his new album Renaissance on the track “Dance On Glass,” where Q-Tip calls himself the “Luke Cage of the loose leaf page.”

Continue reading ‘The Top 9 Marvel Universe Characters That Have Stepped Up Since Civil War’

Podcast Episode 050

Published
by
nick marino
on October 7, 2008
in Podcast Episodes and Video Games
. 4 Comments

The Street Fighter movie, Super Mario Bros movie, Wes Anderson, Outsourced, Iron Man on DVD, Rampaging Hulk magazine, and reviews of new albums by TI, Skillz, and Solange Knowles are how we celebrate the big five-oh. Then, after the end theme, a special update as we learn about Street Fighter - The Legend of Chun Li.

 
 AudioShocker #50 [82:25m]: Play Now | Download

Great, You Took a Comic Book and Adapted it Panel by Panel into a Film. Who Gives a Shit?!

Published
by
nick marino
on August 21, 2008
in Comics and Movies
. 2 Comments

The blogosphere is buzzing about Zack Snyder’s “faithful” adaptation of the Watchmen mini series into a film. When I say mini series, I mean it. Watchmen is, in fact, a collection of single issues as opposed to an original novel-length work. But “The Most Celebrated Comic Book Mini Series of All Time” isn’t as impressive, so I understand why it’s universally referred to as a graphic novel. Watching this movie is supposed to be like the comic moving before your eyes (though they already did that with Warner Premiere’s Motion Comics and it looks like poop).

Truthfully, it all leaves me feeling cold. If the movie is just a direct adaptation of the comic, then who gives a shit? I already read Watchmen. It was great. I don’t need to read it again, let alone sit as a captive audience member for some ungodly length of time in a movie theater. By the way, three fucking hours??! Snyder, are you out of your gourd? I sat thru 2.5 hours of The Dark Poop and I almost screamed in pain after 1.5 hours. If Watchmen is going to be 180 minutes, then split it in half ala Kill Bill so I can go home for a couple months in the middle.

Continue reading ‘Great, You Took a Comic Book and Adapted it Panel by Panel into a Film. Who Gives a Shit?!’

The Top 9 Things That Suck About Modern Movies

Published
by
nick marino
on August 15, 2008
in Movies and The Top 9
. 6 Comments

I don’t like to complain about somebody else’s work, especially when I’m not already a creator of the thing I’m trashing. But I’ll make an exception for modern movies. I’m talking about stuff like The Dark Knight and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. To be safe, let’s say that these following 9 suck factors apply to most movies of the mid-to-late ’00s.

9. The comedy scripts are really dumb and the drama scripts are way too serious.

8. Everything is “dark” all the time. What the fuck does that even mean?

7. Almost every big budget action movie is now a psychological thriller.

6. Catch phrases and reoccurring gags, while formerly being kickass or fun, are now just annoying.

5. Three names that tell me a movie could be better with different actors: Gyllenhaal, Ferrell, and Bale.

4. Do youth always have to be corrupted as their elders reveal a shocking hidden secret?

3. CG in live action films, while having the ability to be excellent, is overused and tends to look like shit.

2. 90 minutes is all I need. If your movie is over 120 minutes, chances are it sucks. A lot.

1. Getting nominated for an Oscar basically means that I will not enjoy watching your movie.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to everything. Some superhero films (notably Iron Man and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) have been excellent. And animated films have been solid (I’m looking at you, Kung Fu Panda).

Next: The Top 9 Ways to Piss Me Off in the Movie Theater!

Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.

The Top 9 Best Live-Action Superhero Movies (Note: You Will Disagree With This)

Published
by
nick marino
on June 20, 2008
in Comics, Movies and The Top 9
. 1 Comment

Here, in painstakingly particular (and genius) order, are the Top 9 Best Live-Action Superhero Movies of all-time:

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
8. Blade (1998)
7. Batman: The Movie (1966)
6. X2 (2005)
5. Batman Returns (1992)
4. Iron Man (2008)
3. Batman (1989)
2. X-Men (2000)
1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

I know what you must be thinking. “Nick,” you’re saying to yourself, “You are completely out of your @#$%ing mind.” But go back and reread the list. The effect should sound something like, “Wait… this list is actually quite brilliant.”

So here’s the thing: I KNOW that people out there will disagree with me. If you think there’s a better Top 9 Best Live-Action Superhero Movies, then post your version in the comments.

However, if you don’t post your own version of this Top 9, I will consider my list as unchallenged and therefore the definitive list of Best Live-Action Superhero Movies by default.

Next: The Top 9 Best B-Movies!

Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is a better number. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.

Sadly, the Podcast Takes a Week Off

Published
by
nick marino
on June 10, 2008
in Behind the Scenes and Comics
. 1 Comment

But not without something special by way of Neal, of course (last I checked, there should be an AIMcast coming your way in place of the podcast). I know all 10 to 20 (HA!) of our regular listeners will be devastated to know that the AudioShocker needs to take a week off.

But listen, this weekend I:

  1. finished packing my entire apartment
  2. moved from 9:30am to 3:30pm on Saturday
  3. made it to the airport by 4:50pm for a 5:35pm flight that got pushed back three hours
  4. made it to Philly and crashed
  5. woke up on Sunday and moved an entertainment center
  6. picked up a dog that is now officially a Pittsburgh resident in my apartment
  7. made it back to the airport for another delayed flight
  8. got to my new apartment by 11:45pm
  9. crashed late but still made it to work today
  10. replied to Tom Brevoort on my Cup O Joe blog post
  11. just now finished reviewing five new Marvel comic books coming out this Wednesday

With that said, you’ve got to pick up Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #3. It’s nuts. Liquid tentacles, Iron Man armor with ponytails, and a wiseass Merlin wearing a traditional Bavarian getup. We’re talking mind@#$% Iron Man. It’s awesome.

Wizard World Philly Cup O Joe, AudioShocker Style

Published
by
nick marino
on May 31, 2008
in Comics
. 4 Comments

So I went to Wizard World Philadelphia today. It was my second convention experience in my 21 plus years of being a fanatic comic book fan. It was my first time going to a comic book convention panel, and I chose Cup O Joe to pop my panel cherry.

It was a glorified press conference with fans instead of press outlets asking the questions. Of course, I took notes on the best news tidbits just for you:

  • Fred Van Lente and Kev Walker will be the creative team behind Marvel Zombies 3, debuting in September. This mini series will see the Marvel Zombies cross into Marvel 616 continuity proper (though 616 Black Panther, with the new Fantastic Four in tow, already crossed over with the Galactus infused zombies last year). This mini series will see the reveal of Florida’s Initiative team.
  • Ed Brubaker is gearing up to introduce Lady Bullseye in the Daredevil series. The preview slide that Marvel showed looked like a cross between Bullseye, Elektra, and Typhoid Mary.
  • An adept fan asked what was coming up for Black Panther (a favorite of this blogger). Joe Quesada explained that T’Challa is under the guide of editor Axel Alonso and fans can be sure that the character will be involved in every crossover / Marvel line event possible. Joe then went on to refer to Alonso as a “whore” before he mentioned that BET’s Black Panther animated series will feature a great deal of content from Reginald Hudlin’s first story arc of Black Panther.
  • Musing on One More Day, Joe explained that something happened on the Wedding Day of Peter and Mary Jane that caused the current Mephisto influenced reality where Spider-Man currently exists. The “how” will all be revealed over the course of Brand New Day. And yes, Peter and Aunt May still lived in Avengers Tower. Mary Jane, however, may have not been there with them (the answer was vague).
  • Hulk (the Jeph Loeb relaunch series) will have an incredible pair of artists doing a tag-team job after the first story arc. Hulk #7-9 will be drawn by Art Adams and Frank Cho working together on alternating scenes. That is just wonderful, according to me. I would have bought this week’s King Size Hulk if only it wasn’t stuffed with reprints and marked up to $4.99. Hopefully the Adams and Cho issues will only run $2.99.
  • Another adept fan asked about the Crew. Tom Brevoort said there are no plans for the Crew to return as a unit, though Rhodey is in Avengers: The Initiative and Junta is in Last Defenders.
  • The panel took a turn towards the nasty when a fan asked if Aunt May still hooked up with Jarvis, a character recently revealed to be a Skrull in Secret Invasion. This led to Tom Brevoort cracking jokes about Aunt May missing her period. Joe Q got in on the fun when he said, “Skrull or no Skrull, Aunt May has her needs.” That’s a classic quote right there.

The AudioShocker got to act as newsmaker when we finally asked about Senator Kooning, the only regularly appearing black character in Iron Man that just happens to have a last name that’s one letter off (and sounds exactly like) a racial slur. Joe Q looked like a dear in the headlights and Tom Brevoort did his best impression of a Bush White House spokesperson, saying that Jack Kooning was named after a historical figure. That must be one of the most obscure historical figures around because I’ve never seen a single word about this “historical” figure. Suffice to say, I’m unconvinced but I appreciated the candid response.

All in all, the panel was fun. I stayed around afterwards to thank Tom B for answering my question even though it was a tough one. I also asked one more final query about the fate of the Falcon, who has been rumored (in the most vague sense) to kick the bucket in the near future. According to Tom Brevoort, don’t expect the Falcon to go anywhere anytime soon. Thanks, Tom. Now I can rest easy.

Podcast Episode 032

Published
by
nick marino
on May 20, 2008
in Podcast Episodes and Video Games
. 3 Comments

Convo goes extra filthy about Feist, our listeners, our comment line 412.567.7606, Street Fighter, Zangief, video game backstory, DOA, Dhalsim, Michael Biehn, YouTube, frat girls, Dilly Bars, Charlie Wilson’s War, Edward Albee, Sam Shepard, Sam Waterston, Beckett, Becker, Ted Danson, House, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, David Lynch, darning socks, potted meat, Avengers: The Initiative #13, Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #29, Mighty Avengers #14, Captain America #38, and more.

 
 AudioShocker #32 [51:33m]: Play Now | Download

ComicShocker Week 19 2008

Published
by
nick marino
on May 7, 2008
in Comics and Movies
. 1 Comment

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?

Podcast Episode 030

Published
by
nick marino
on May 6, 2008
in Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

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.

 
 AudioShocker #30 [63:47m]: Play Now | Download