Book Review: Serenity Vol. 3: The Shepherd's Tale by Joss Whedon et al.

Serenity Vol. 3: The Shepherd's Tale story by Joss and Zack Whedon, art by Chris Samnee

Joss and Zack Whedon pen this tale of Shepherd Book from the Serenity/Firefly storyline. His past has been very mysterious and this book reveals a great deal of his background. Why is he so violent? How did he become a Shepherd, a sort of preacher or wandering holy man? Why do so many people fear him? Unlike Clint Eastwood's character in Pale Rider, Shepherd Book is an authentic holy man seeking to spread a message of peace. Book doesn't ride into town just to avenge wrongs. He's a fascinating character who comes to use violence only sparingly and highly effectively. But that is the end of his story, not the beginning.

The story is told in reverse order, like the movie Memento, though the episodes are of varying time lengths (though each is told in six to eight pages). As a character study it is fascinating and the story is accessible as a stand-alone story (i.e., if you have no knowledge of the movie Serenity or the TV series Firefly, you will still be able to follow and enjoy the story).

Easily the best of the Serenity graphic novels.

Book Review: Fray by Joss Whedon et al.

Fray written by Joss Whedon, penciled by Karl Moline, and inked by Andy Owens

In a distant future people have forgotten about demons, vampires, and the slayer. But they do have flying cars! And Lurkers, who are exactly the same as vampires except they don't have the mythic reputation vampires have today. The Lurkers in this story are outsiders with plans to take over the world, so the world needs a new slayer to arise. The chosen one in this future is Melaka Fray, a nineteen-year old with great strength and agility and no idea that she has a greater destiny. She uses her skills to commit thefts for a fish-man who works for all sorts of sordid people.

Speaking of sordid people, a goat-horned demon shows up to teach Melaka about her destiny and train her for the coming war. She's already had run ins with Lurkers during her adventures. In one fight, her twin brother Harth was killed, so she has issues. If that was not enough, her older sister Erin became a cop after Harth's death so Melaka has even more issues. She works through those issues in typical Whedon fashion--plenty of witty banter, clever plotting, and heart-wrenching drama.

The story is an interesting futuristic imagining of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's world and is a compelling read. The end leaves open future story lines that sadly have not been explored...yet.

Movie Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) written and directed by Joss Whedon

The Avengers take out a heavily fortified Hydra base where they collect Loki's staff and encounter two enhanced people, twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. He can move faster than fast (he's Quicksilver in the comics, who appeared also in X-Men: Days of Future Past); she uses magic and can read minds as well as put thoughts into them (she's Scarlett Witch in the comics, no priors). She does a number on most of the Avengers before leaving (Hawkeye is quick enough to stop her, quipping "I've already done the  mind control thing, didn't like it!"). They are haunted by those thoughts as the return to New York to celebrate recovering the staff.

Back at Avengers HQ, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner analyze the staff before Thor takes it off for safekeeping. Tony discovers an artificial intelligence in it and attempts to modify it so he can complete his Ultron project. Ultron will bring about "peace in our time" by securing the Earth from hostile aliens. And presumably other earth-bound baddies. Tony and Bruce head off to the party while the Ultron AI hangs out with JARVIS (Ironman's AI assistant). While the Avengers have fun and get a little drunk, Ultron takes out JARVIS and escapes into the internet, quickly infecting several Ironman suits and starting on a project to bring about "peace in our time," basically by wiping out the Avengers and the rest of the human race as well. Ultron recruits the twins, who don't catch on to the second part of his plan because Wanda can't read mechanical minds. A globe-spanning fight ensues.

The movie has a well-balanced mix of action, comedy, and character development. The cast is rather massive (the original six Avengers, the twins, Ultron, and a few others thrown in) but Whedon's script gives everyone enough time and personal scenes to make the characters more believable and interesting. Whedon's trademark witty banter is in fine form as well. The plot is also massive and suffers a little bit--they do so many things that it's hard to keep track of why certain things are important or even necessary. The story moves along so quickly that viewers are swept up in the action and it's easy to let the odd plot points slip on by.

This is a big, fun summer blockbuster, well worth seeing.

And yes, it is already available for pre-order on Amazon!

Free Comic Book Day 2015

For Free Comic Book Day this year we went to our old favorite, Third Eye Comics, in Annapolis, Maryland. They've always had a good turnout and lots of fun things to do for the biggest day in comics. The last time we went was in 2011 (before our England adventures), and things have only gotten bigger.

N suited up for the event. Since it was a special occasion, he even showed off his teeth!

SuperN

What he got for Christmas

At the store, the first thing we saw was the Doctor Who folks. Later in the day they had picture taking inside the Tardis for $5 a person which we did not do. We had fun and fear enough from outside in the morning!

Fun at the Tardis

Fear the Dalek!

 

Selling some items outside

We walked around the side of the building and saw the line stretching out into the distance.

Lots of customers!

Mommy and N waited in line while J, L, and I explored the back lot. The cosplayers were out in full force...make that the Force!

Clone, R2, J, and L

L had said before getting to the shop that she had no interest in Star Wars. Then she saw R2-D2 wandering around on his own and making is iconic beeps, whistles, and squeaks. She loved it so much, she gave that little R2 unit a hug.

If only he could hug back

The Marvel Universe had a bunch of their favorites on hand as well, including a guest appearance by movie writer/director Joss Whedon!

Mockingjay and Black Widow

Hanging out together

Hawkeye, Mockingjay, Green Arrow (defecting from DC), Black Widow, not sure, and Deadpool

Joss Whedon lookalike (at least that what they called me) joins the crew

Deadpool loaned Joss a sword

DC didn't just photo-bomb the Marvel pics, they had their own showing.

Green Arrow and Wonder Woman

Aquaman and Wonder Woman

Out back was the kids' tent, featuring face painting (which L didn't want to do for some reason), kid-friendly comics, and a coloring activity. J settled in with a Transformers comic while L worked in the Avengers coloring poster.

Free comics aimed at kids

Reading and coloring in the blazing sun

L can't keep her eyes open in the intense noonday glare

We headed back to line where Mommy was almost in the store. I jumped in and she jumped out. Inside the line snaked around to the free comic book table. People were very polite and patient, I was impressed.

A packed store

I snagged nine free comics and purchased some Hellboy comics and the Marvel Dice Masters Game with some booster packs. Comic reviews are coming in the next post, the game in the near future!

We finished off the trip with a stop at Chick-fil-A for lunch and a swim at a local pool. Everyone had a great time!

Book Review: Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon et al.

Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon et al.

This graphic novel fills in a little bit of the world of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a web short created by Joss Whedon and friends during the writers' strike of 2008. The short is entertaining and creative, showing the life of Dr. Horrible, a villain who wants to move up in the world. His big aim is to join the Evil League of Evil but his evil schemes are thwarted by oafish hero Captain Hammer. He's also distracted by Penny, a beautiful young woman he's fond of. She winds up dating Captain Hammer, another thorn in Dr. Horrible's side.

The graphic novel tells several stories about different characters. Some were definitely more entertaining than others. The best story follows the Evil League of Evil as they rampage across the city while the Council of Champions is off on retreat. The stories where Penny goes on a date and Dr. Horrible remembers his origins are both interesting and fun stories. Captain Hammers PSA and Moist's origin fell flat for me.

The book is a mixed bag and only of interest if you have seen the Sing-Along Blog.

Book Review: Serenity Vol. 1: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon et al.

Serenity Volume 1: Those Left Behind written by Joss Whedon, script by Brett Matthews, art by Will Conrad

Captain Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of the Serenity run a couple of missions and they run into the typical problems: they're not getting paid, Inara wants to leave, the Alliance and other old foes are on their tails. The story starts in a promising way and then comes to a rather abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion. The last two pages read like a set-up for the movie Serenity and unfortunately the whole book feels like a movie tie-in product, not a well-thought out story. Very disappointing.

Movie Review: Much Ado About Nothing (2013)

Much Ado About Nothing (2013) directed by Joss Whedon

Yet another film I meant to see last summer (ref: Pacific Rim and World War Z). At least my excuse for this one is that it didn't play anywhere near where we are living in North Yorkshire.

One of the most popular and most absurd plays written by William Shakespeare is Much Ado About Nothing. The story is whimsical and the characters do quite ridiculous things. Audiences love it because it is full of joy, almost exploding with joy. It's easy to forgive the contrivances of the plot because the humor and the romance are so wonderful. The story follows a troop of men who return from battle to the home of Leonato where love is in the air. Claudio wants to marry Leonato's daughter Hero while Benedick and Beatrice have a "merry war of words" that inspires their friends to make them fall in love too. Madcap hilarity ensues with occasional moments of dramatic intensity.

Joss Whedon made this film during a two-week break in the middle of making The Avengers. The actors are his friends, mostly from his previous TV shows. The set is his house and backyard. He'd been having friends over for Shakespeare readings for years and years, so it is not such a surprise that they could put something together quickly and still do a good job.

The actors are good if not always outstanding. Alexis Denisof (Benedict here; Wesley from Buffy and Angel) might be a little too buffoonish at points but nails it in others; Amy Acker (Beatrice; Fred from Angel) does a great job and has natural chemistry with Denisof; Nathan Fillion (Dogberry; Mal from Firefly) steals the show. As a fan of Whedon's previous work, it was a little distracting seeing all the different actors popping up. But I got used to it after a while, just like people get used to the Shakespearean language.

The black and white photography works well, giving it a style appropriate to the timelessness of the story. The story is ultimately relevant to generation after generation because it touches on truths and experiences that happen all the time because people are, in fact, people. We've all experienced unrequited loves, the joy of discovered love, the hope of a happy ending in even the craziest circumstances. Hopefully not this crazy.

Parental Advisory: All the characters drink quite a bit; a little bit of smoking (probably some weed); some frisky sex scenes without nudity; that difficult Shakespeare language.

Book Review: Better Days by Joss Whedon et al.

Serenity Vol. 2: Better Days by Joss Whedon et al.

The crew of the Serenity is off on another adventure! They seem to be robbing a museum but as soon as they make their exit, they are confronted by a robot drone that chases them through the city. They eventually capture the drone to sell to the guy that hired them. This makes the drone's manufacturer (who was demonstrating it for customers) rather angry in an "I'll get you later" way. Naturally, he will show up later in the story.

When they deliver the drone, the guy says he doesn't have the money but there's a big stash in a temple underneath a Buddah statue on a planet not far away. They reluctantly go off to find the money which turns out to be much more than the guy realized. Suddenly super-rich, will the money make Mal and the crew soft or turn a blind eye to hazards coming after them?

The story is interesting enough and has the trademark snappy Joss Whedon dialogue (fans of the show will love the moment when Jayne gives the Buddhist monk a wad of cash for manhandling the statue and the monk whispers, "The hero of Canton....is real!"). They use Chinese (or possibly just Chinese-looking) characters for swear words in the speech bubbles. The art is okay without being outstanding. The book is an enjoyable (and short) read but no where near as good as Shepherd's Tale.

Parental Warning: There are some discrete sex scenes and one torture scene with teeth being removed.

Yay Joss Whedon/Shakespeare Mashup!

In case you haven't seen it yet (or worse yet, don't even know about the project), the trailer for Joss Whedon's film version of Much Ado About Nothing is available!



I can't wait to see the movie!!

h/t to Sean from Just a Catholic Dad, who posted it on his Facebook feed

DVD Review: Dollhouse Season One

DVD Review: Dollhouse Season One

Dollhouse is a series about an ultra-secret organization that rents out people with customized identities to whoever can afford it (i.e. the ultra-rich). The organization is called the Dollhouse and the people rented out Dolls. The people who run the Dollhouse have developed a technology which allows them to wipe out someone's memories, personality, skills, abilities, basically their individuality. They then imprint a tailor-made character onto the wiped out person so they are a different person. Someone might need a hostage negotiator or a body guard or the perfect date for a perfect evening. The Dolls go out on these various missions with handlers keeping as close an eye on the Dolls as they can. The series centers on one Doll, Echo (Eliza Dushku), who has occasional glitches where previous personalities (including her original personality) bubble up from under the surface. Increasing the drama is an FBI agent (Tahmoh Penikett from Battlestar Galactica) trying to find the Dollhouse and especially Echo. The Dollhouse is aware of him and tries several times to throw him off the trail. The series set up is very intriguing and original for a science fiction show. 

Back when Dollhouse was first broadcast, my wife and I watched the initial four or five episodes and gave up because the story wasn't gelling and the writing was surprisingly substandard for a Joss Whedon production. We loved Buffy, Angel, and Firefly, so it seemed like Dollhouse should be a slam dunk. Somehow it wasn't.

A couple of months later, we heard chatter from friends and podcasts that the show really picked up after episode six and was quite good. I made a mental note to try it again someday on DVD. We finally rented it recently. The DVD set includes the original un-aired pilot and also a thirteenth episode that was never broadcast in the United States, as well as the typical "making of" bonus features and a few commentaries on episodes.

We started watching again and episode six was kind of okay. The show was marginally better but I would not go so far to call it good. A lot of moments in subsequent episodes seemed like they should be big twists or surprises but they were very obvious. We kept going and became excited by the actually surprising surprise twist in episode eleven. Finally the show had gotten good. Episode twelve was a let down. Everything had been turned topsy-turvy (in a good way) in eleven only to get reset to normal in twelve. Except for some changes that, frankly, were quite unbelievable (what happens with the FBI guy makes no sense whatsoever) even by the low standards of the show. The unaired thirteenth episode is set ten years in the future in a post-apocalyptic landscape where a group of survivors try to find their way to safety and stumble upon the ruins of the Dollhouse. They find out a lot about what caused the apocalypse (the Dollhouse technology run amuck). The episode is full of flash-backs that seem like spoilers for the on-going story and has a lot of random stuff thrown in which makes little sense.

I listened to some of the commentaries (I have this vague hope that someday someone will admit they made something not good, but have yet to hear such an admission). The Joss Whedon/Eliza Dushku commentary on the pilot episode was mostly banter and joking with little substance. The writers of episode thirteen provided that commentary and they talked more about how they production went. The comments were interesting since they got into the issues of filming simultaneously with episode twelve. The writers seemed to think they were setting up some interesting mysteries. Also, they were a little panicked that the series would be canceled, since they recorded a week before they found out the show was approved for a second season.

Overall, the show was pretty disappointing and we couldn't recommend it to others.

Movie Review: [Marvel's] The Avengers [Assemble] (2012)

The Avengers (2012) written and directed by Joss Whedon

Lots of words have already been written and said about The Avengers (known here in England as Marvel's Avengers Assemble, presumably to distinguish it from the old (and quite awesome) TV show called The Avengers). Certainly it is an amazingly entertaining movie. There's lots of comedy; there's lots of drama; there's lots of fight sequences matching up practically every major character against every other character, both good and bad guys. Even match-ups that seem quite ridiculous, like the Russian assassin Black Widow with no superpowers against the Hulk. And yet, it still works. The credit has to go to the director/writer Joss Whedon. He dodges all sorts of bullets with the deftness of Neo in The Matrix.

Whedon has helmed many large casts on TV shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Doll House) and managed to keep a good balance of developing the characters and making them interesting, individual, and real. Such an accomplishment is not so hard with one or more seasons of TV episodes. To achieve the same in a two and a half hour movie is rather amazing. How many superhero movies have foundered because they had too many villains? Whedon's deft direction and great dialogue keep the movie moving along while giving all the various characters chances to shine.

Another common problem in comic book movies is when the main villain completely upstages the hero (as in almost every Batman film). Here there's just one villain, Loki. He is Thor's adopted brother and has the typical ambition to rule the Earth. While the actor, Tom Hiddleston, probably gives the best performance in the movie, he does not outshine others by far. Robert Downey Jr. is hard to upstage. Mark Ruffalo gives a great performance as Bruce Banner, combining the tension, sadness, and weariness of a man with his own Mr. Hyde waiting to come out. The other actors give worthy performances; all are convincing in their roles. And they are all given enough motivation and interest to keep them engaged in the story and engaging to the viewer.

Yet another problem is taking the characters too seriously or not seriously enough. On the too serious side are Ang Lee's Hulk and Watchmen. In my opinion, Christopher Nolan's Batman movies come very close to collapsing under the weight of their heavy themes. On the other hand, Joel Schumacher's Batman films killed the franchise for almost ten years with their neon-colored nonsense and utter superficiality. Whedon gives the characters their due but also gives them a sense of humor. They are more like real people than like stand-ins for ideas or ideologies. Or like cardboard characters who deliver bad dialogue (mostly puns) or wear skimpy outfits.

Speaking of skimpy outfits, another common complaint against comic book movies (and the books themselves) is the treatment of women as merely love interests and/or sex objects. Whedon's record for empowering female characters is undebatable. Black Widow's role in this movie isn't to provide a scantily clad female. She is a fully developed character who is motivated by trying to ease or erase her past indiscretions as an assassin, not because she's got the hots for one or more of the male leads. She even gets an equal share of screen time with Iron Man and Captain America, with possibly more time than Thor. Even when physically outmatched by the Hulk, she still has the skill and brains to hold her own and live to fight in the big finale. It's a refreshing change from the typical female superhero and this movie convinces me that a Black Widow movie would be something worth seeing, if handled just as well.

The Avengers is a rip-roaring adventure, full of fun, action, and laughs. It's a movie that on paper looks like a disaster waiting to happen. But in the capable hands of Joss Whedon, the cast delivers fine performances and great dialogue with a joy and exuberance that few, if any, comic book films have ever had before. Big thumbs up and definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

Oh yeah, and if you are in America stay to the end of the credits for a great bonus scene. At least, I've heard it's a great bonus scene. It's not on the end of Marvel's Avengers Assemble here in England. Boo-hoo!

For other, more insightful and better written words on The Avengers, try these:

• Interesting comment on how we are all like Loki here. The blogger has a couple of other articles about the movie seen in a Christian context.
• My favorite critic, Steven Greydanus, gives an awesome review here.