Tag Archive for 'Luke Cage'

The Top 9 Superheroes Who Don't Have a Solo Series Right Now (But Should Have One!)

Published
by
nick marino
on February 20, 2009
in The Top 9
. 5 Comments

9. Luke Cage. New Avengers may feature Carl Lucas in the lead, but the big name heroes in the book limit his face time. I want a Cage solo series wherein our invulnerable heavy hitter from Harlem handles business on his downtime.

8. Havok. He's getting a big profile bump soon in the War of Kings event, so this would be the perfect time to spin him out into his own series again. Alex Summers has already carried Mutant X on his own and he headlined X-Factor for years. Just get him back in his classic duds before he launches his new solo book!

7. Zatanna. The Bat-books need some magic. Even with Bruce Wayne MIA right now, this classic JLA hero could interact in Gotham City in interesting ways. The Arkham Asylum crowd are used to fists and gadgets. But what if they had to fight spells instead?

6. Falcon. I had an awesome idea today -- a new Marvel Two-in-One or Marvel Team Up book featuring Falcon as the reoccurring hero. Sam Wilson can fly and talk to birds, but he needs a power upgrade to handle major threats. Solution? Use his Rolodex to boost his brawn on the battlefield.

5. Sasquatch. Marvel's Canadian heavy hitter needs a new lease on stardom. Put him in his own series where he's fighting the horror creatures of the Marvel Universe. His lighthearted attitude and love for science will contrast well with fantasy themed horror elements.

4. Psylocke. Betsy Braddock needs a new modus operandi. My suggestion? A classic kung fu street series. Have her hang with Iron Fist, fight alongside Shang-Chi, and buddy up with the Daughters of the Dragon. Bring in the X-Men now and then to boost sales.

3. Joker. A supervillain (or "super villain," as DC Comics would say) series is always a tricky thing. But the Joker is a tricky kind of guy, so it just might work. With Heath Ledger's star performance as the Clown Price of Crime, Joker's profile is higher than ever -- now just put him in his own comic book full of funny and twisted tales.

2. Storm. Lucky for me, she just finished up a mini series. But I would like to see another mini lined up, or better yet, an ongoing book for this mutant weather goddess. Give Chris Claremont the writing assignment and put Aaron Lopresti on art duties.

1. Aquaman. Plain and simple. The classic DC Comics water hero, Arthur Curry. He's one of the big guns and he needs to get his own title, even if it's just a mini series! Ride that seahorse, baby, ride!!!

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

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

AudioShocker Podcast #66 - Rioting for Dummies

Published
by
nick marino
on February 3, 2009
in Podcast Episodes
. 5 Comments

British humor vs. rap music, Nick loves Balls Out and JCVD, Neal reminisces about Edgewood Town Center, Gabriel Bros vs. American Apparel, Nick watched people light fires in the streets of Pittsburgh after the Steelers won the Super Bowl, Neal watched Super Bowl Commercials and hated them, Nick watched Chaos;HEAd and loved it, Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, New Avengers #49 and Luke Cage, Avengers: The Initiative #21 and Clor, and In Like Flint is overrated.

Then, after the end theme, the guys discuss some shocking casting news for The Last Airbender - Dev Patel is in as Zuko. As usual, the casting makes no sense and Neal is revoking M. Night Shyamalan's Chaat Stand Pass.

 
 AudioShocker #66 [49:23m]: Play Now | Download

3 Panel Reviews - New Avengers #49

Published
by
nick marino
on January 29, 2009
in 3 Panel Reviews and Webcomics
. 0 Comments

Luke Cage manhandles an enchanted crowbar.

Continue reading '3 Panel Reviews - New Avengers #49'

The Top 9 Superheroes I DON'T Want to Hang Out With

Published
by
nick marino
on November 21, 2008
in The Top 9
. 5 Comments

9. Man-Thing. Aside from the obvious ridicule I'd endure from my friends for chilling with someone named Man-Thing, I don't feel like "burning at the touch" of a weird swamp monster who can't hold a conversation.

8. Luke Cage. Power Man used to be awesome but now he's all into conspiracy theories and hiding out from "the man." Hanging out with Cage nowadays means putting on disguises to buy hot dogs and running underground to eat them in a deserted subway tunnel.

7. Green Arrow. Aside from being obnoxious and preachy, Ollie Queen would be extreme rude to any attractive women in his vicinity. Then he'd insist on playing darts for money until I'm broke. Not my idea of fun.

6. Doctor Strange. Seemingly fresh at first, cute sayings like "by the hoary hordes of Haggoth!" would get really old really fast. I would end up telling Stephen Strange that his "hoary whore mouth of Haggoth better shut the fuck up!" before I put my foot in it.

5. Hawkgirl. Along with being uneasy about her wings and the giant mace, I wouldn't be able to take her seriously in that bird mask. Then, if I asked her to take it off, Kendra would probably give me a line about how it's her proud warrior garb and my request insults her.

4. Hank Pym. Something is bound to go wrong. If he's not losing his mind and pretending to be a different bug, then he's slapping his wife around or getting abducted by aliens. It's not his fault he's a writers' punching bag, but that doesn't mean I want to hang out with him.

3. Emma Frost. Seriously, what a bitch. The White Queen has the worst attitude in the entire Marvel Universe. She would whine about everything. The pizza's not hot enough, the restaurant is too dirty, her ludicrous costume is riding up her crack, etc.

2. Havok. Alex Summers will ditch me halfway through our night to tell some woman he just met that he's deeply in love with her and can't live without her. He'll stick me with the bill and run off to the southwest United States, where I won't hear from him again for years. At least, that's what he always does to the X-Men.

1. Cyclops. What's worse than getting ditched by Alex Summers? Chilling with his brother Scott as he rants about "how hard it is to live life when I can't relax for one moment because the smallest slip could result in my ruby quartz glasses falling off, causing my eyes to release powerful blasts of cosmic energy that could harm the people I love!"

Next: The Top 9 Supervillains I DO Want to Hang Out With!

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 Marvel Universe Characters That Have Stepped Up Since Civil War

Published
by
nick marino
on November 14, 2008
in The Top 9
. 2 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'

The Top 9 Comic Book Superpowers

Published
by
nick marino
on September 4, 2008
in The Top 9
. 2 Comments

9. Flight. Who doesn't want to be able to fly? It's sweet. But not so sweet that it would top this list. In fact, most superheroes that can fly are given some other sort of ability as well (Superman, Storm, Ms. Marvel, etc). Off the top of my head, the only pure flight hero I can think of is Angel (Warren Worthington III). For a time, he had that "blood can heal you" thing. But I'm sure that's being retconned as we speak.

8. Enhanced Senses. It's a simple notion. Take the sensory perception of a normal human and turn it up to 11 (thank you, Spinal Tap). As with characters like Wolverine, these senses are often linked to an animalistic connection. But that sort of totemistic power is a completely different thing. Daredevil is a great example of plain enhanced senses, but I personally prefer the enhanced awareness and reaction time of Slade Wilson (a.k.a. Deathstroke).

7. Invulnerability. This is another superpower often paired with other abilities, most commonly super strength. Superman is invulnerable, mostly as an afterthought. Luke Cage comes close to being a pure holder of this power, but he gained some super strength with his invulnerability. You need look no further than Avengers: The Initiative #13 and Emery Schaub (a.k.a. Butterball), a teen who had no special abilities whatsoever aside from the fact that he couldn't get hurt.

6. Telepathy. Don't get me wrong -- telekinesis is great and all, but I'd rather have the full range of someone's thoughts and feelings. Telepathy is the ultimate invasion of personal privacy that seems sort of delicious in a twisted kind of way. Professor Xavier is my favorite telepath, mostly because his power is extensive and he has impressive control over his ability to get into the thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) of others.

5. Agility. Maybe not the most impressive power on this list. In fact, this is probably my "pet power" choice, if only because I've always dreamed of rolling out of leaping somersaults like Nightcrawler or daftly dodging blows like Black Panther. Truthfully, I can't think of a hero who has agility as a singular ability. Tigra's close, but too totemistic. I'll go with none other than the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as the finest example of the ability to perform fantastic gymnastics.

4. Energy Manipulation. This one's a doozy. I mean, there are so many ways to bend energy, absorb it, and rechannel it out. Endless iterations pop up in comic books because you can draw it however you want, splash it with bright colors, and it looks sweet. My two favorite examples of energy manipulation come in the form of Havok's concentric blasts and Bishop's ability to spray you back with whatever energy you shoot at him. (And of course, the Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic too).

3. Water Manipulation. This one that's a bit obscure and sure to have its detractors. Still, I think the ability to manipulate water is probably one of the most impressive superpowers. Straying from comics, we've seen fantastic examples of water manipulation by Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender. But in comics, the best example I can think of is Hydro-Man. Yeah, the character is a moron but his powers are absolutely incredible.

2. Density Control. Okay, this one is also a bit obscure. I mean, I actually had to sit down and reason out what density control entails just to write this list. This ability is not to be confused with the mass control of Harry Leland. Instead, I'm talking about Vision's power to fluctuate between intangible and diamond-hard. Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde represent the opposite sides of this power spectrum, while Vision has the ability to make himself both ethereal and super solid with a mere thought.

1. Invisibility. Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, is probably the best pure example of this ability. She also has a host of other awesome tricks she can do that are only tangentially related to hiding herself and other objects from view. And that energy manipulation is extremely awesome. But at the end of the day, she would still have my favorite power of any superhero out there if she just had the ability to hide herself in plain sight.

Next: The Top 9 UK Oddities! [instead of The Top 9 Obscure Movie Soundtracks]

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 Incredible Hulk - TXT Review 2 and Cameo Spoilers

Published
by
nick marino
on June 14, 2008
in Movies and TXT Message Reviews
. 3 Comments

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?!!

ComicShocker Week 14 2008

Published
by
nick marino
on April 2, 2008
in Comics
. 0 Comments

I guess I expected Secret Invasion #1 to be a bit more shocking. Not that it wasn't good - Lenil Yu's pencils look strong with Mark Morales on inks and Laura Martin on colors; Brian Michael Bendis delivers a strong script. But the overall story felt much like your typical issue of New Avengers. That's a good thing, of course. But not necessarily an event comic thing.

I certainly wasn't out and out taken aback by any Skrull development that happened. Surprised a bit? Maybe here and there. But no "knock me on my ass" moments like the first issue of Civil War. I remember finishing Civil War #1 with my mouth agape, shocked at the words of Iron Man. It had attitude like the Bad Boys movies and hyper-real visuals. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, has a decidedly slow burn pace that feels more like a political thriller than a big action movie.

And I'm sure that's the point. I imagine that Bendis wants this story to read a bit more mature and subtle than the past two Marvel Comics spring / summer events (the aforementioned Civil War and World War Hulk). To that end, he is successful. However, I didn't drop my jaw anywhere. I didn't even scream anything out loud, often a sign that I'm lost in the fictional illusion of the story to my delight.

But like I said, the book is good. I'm not going to be spoilerish, that is unless talking about the fulfillment of expectations counts as spoilers (which, this reader believes, can have way more spoiler potential than learning about the plot). It is excellent to see Luke Cage as a pivotal player in the Marvel Universe, even if Lenil Yu doesn't know which way his tiara should be facing (ooo, watch out for spoilers!!!).

My favorite part of the issue? Three words: Reed Richards spaghetti. Mr. Fantastic needs to score a licensing deal with Ragu now. Visually, this moment is a close second only to Clor getting his robotic brains bashed out by Hercules. It's creepy and fascinating at the same time.