Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 Review!

Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Jen Bartel conclude the story of Immortal Wonder Woman in issue #2!  This features Bartel’s cover with Diana crossing her Bracelets of Submission and unleashing her power with a cosmic background.  Wonder Woman flies in darkness and then encounters a fragment of the Daily Planet globe!  It is consumed by the black tentacles of the Undoing.  Diana wants to defeat it, but is not sure how.  She uses her Lasso of Truth to tear apart some tentacles and flies away.  A nice mixture of emotion in close-ups and action.  She feels sadness at the fate of Superman and we see earlier the older Superman in the grip of Darkseid.  She uses the lasso to tug Darkseid back by the neck and slugs him.  Superman locks on Darkseid and all three fly off the Earth.  Clark apologizes before taking on Darkseid towards the sun.  Diana cries out, but Superman has said it isn’t her fate.  Their last battle destroys the sun!

We have Diana floating in space with the Green Lantern ring tossed around as she thinks of the Legion of Super Heroes.  Then, a splash page as we see the Legion fall to the Undoing.  The Undoing?  The great evil in the universe is the Nicole Kidman dramatic mystery series?  She sees in the darkness a spark of light and flies towards it.  Diana finds out that it is the Spectre.  The pale, supernatural spirit in a green cloak, who has been at cosmic events.  They are sitting in the dormant Brainac skull ship!  The vengeful spirit is wrapped up in the Lasso of Truth and Wonder Woman wants him to move on.  The Undoing closes in on her, but Diana stands defiant and radiant.  She tries to fight it and then gets wrapped up in the darkness.  Wonder Woman finds herself filled with light and brings her bracelets together, right out of the cover, for a fitting, hopeful end.  

The next story by L.L. McKinney and Alitha Martinez finishes this story of Nubia.  Closeup, as we see Nubia returning to consciousness.  She finds that her arms are bound in chains.  Nubia finds that she is in Africa?, there are giraffes, and her rival, Grail, next to a large stone.  Grail has used the key along with “Apokoliptian technology” to blast a blinding glare.  She has summoned a woman with red hair, Circe, the sorceress is a long time foe introduced in Wonder Woman #37 (1949). Grail wants a deal with her and threatens with a gem necklace she holds to return the sorceress back to her “spectral prison.” Circe agrees before she has faded away and puts on the necklace.  Then, Circe looks over to Nubia with red eyes similar to Grail’s eyes.  Grail wants Nubia’s tiara.  Circe confronts Nubia with her troubled life and just wants her to hand over the tiara.  We had Grail search for eight components so this must be the last one.

Circe unleashes her power and repeats the word “Submit” as Nubia is tortured.  This shifts to page of images, the meeting of sorceresses(?) from last issue, they are trying to seal away an evil using the objects including the tiara, but are betrayed.  We also find Aunt Nancy is called Nansi.  This is the West African trickster god, called Aunt Nancy in the American South.  She calls another of their group, Oshun, a West African river goddess.  Oshun brings up Aunt Nancy’s “web.”  They all vow to help her, whom of course, must be Nubia.  We return to Circe trying to use her power to take away the tiara, but she finds something is blocking her, still we see Nubia in pain and fighting her.  Circe finds the power is growing stronger and then Nubia in a splash page breaks free from the chains.  Grail brings down her axe, but is blocked by Nubia’s bracelets.  Circe uses her power and Grail has her fighting prowess taking on Nubia.  Circe’s necklace is ripped from her returning her back to her prison.  Then, Nubia meets with Oshun who has lent her power.  The goddess names her guardian of the doorway.  Nubia meets with Aunt Nancy back at the Ebony Web nightclub.  They go over the secrets and Nubia suspects there is more that Aunt Nancy hasn’t told her.   This is a great setup for more of Nubia’s adventures.  After Future State, Infinite Frontier, promises more stories of Yara Flor, Diana Prince, and Nubia!  Immortal Wonder Woman wraps up two stories with some twists with Nubia’s story!   

Four Lassos of Truth out of Five! 

#FutureState, #ImmortalWonderWoman, #BeckyCloonan, #MichaelWConrad, #JenBartel, #LLMcKinney, #AlithaMartinez 

DC Love is a Battlefield Review!

 DC Love is a Battlefield is an 80 page giant one-shot with a number of stories and a very funny cover by Kaare Andrews of Harley Quinn, her expression is hilarious!, and Poison Ivy attacked by an Audrey-like plant from Little Shop of Horrors!  There are ten stories in the anthology, a little Pat Benatar music?  The first one, “Perfect Matches” is by Christos Gage and Xermanico.  On a boat is the wedding of Maxie Zeus, he is the former teacher thinking he is actually Zeus, introduced in Detective Comics #483 (1979).  I’m thinking he should run into Wonder Woman.  Catwoman has been invited to the nupitals and her guest, Matches Malone in a tacky suit and glasses.  I already knew his identity first appearing in Batman #242 (1972). Riddler is suspicious that Catwoman is dating a henchman.  In their room, Bruce Wayne reveals that he placed trackers on Riddler and Maxie Zeus.  Of course, Batman is going undercover in a boat of supervillains!  

Catwoman and Matches take the spotlight dancing, I like this moment, just not caring about the situation.  Catwoman uses her whip to snap a cigarette from Polka Dot Man’s mouth, this is the goofy villain from Detective Comics #300 (1962).  He will be in the upcoming Suicide Squad film.  Riddler is onto Matches’ deception and revals the trackers planted on the villains.  He points out the tracker on Magpie’s hair extensions, very funny.  Maxie Zeus declares trial by combat so it is an all out fight!  He strikes Matches with an electrical bolt.  During the fight, Riddler sees a shadow, and we get a splash page of Batman kicking Maxie Zeus!  It is a nice moent between the super couple.  “Bittersweet” is a Wonder Woman story by Crystal Frasier and Juan Gedeon.  Diana and Steve Trevor are out for dinner, he notes that she brought her purse, in the form of her costume.  They are interrupted by um, a supervillain, called the Blue Snowman.  A robotic suit complete with snowman face, hat, and pipe.  The character first appeared in Sensation Comics #59 (1946).  

The villain has contempt for the holiday and wants their money.  Steve Trevor stands against Blue Snowman and gets frost blasted off the roof!  He is saved by the Lasso of Truth and Wonder Woman slams the robot suit villain!  Wonder Woman pulls up Steve, but she gets her arm frozen in blue ice.  Blue Snowman kicks her into Steve, for some reason, he also has a blue ice arm, a bit confusing.  The villain thinks Wonder Woman is held back by her relationship.  Steve brings up he is the first man that she has seen and while this is going on Wonder Woman finally defeats Blue Snowman whose identity is revealed!  Some fun with superhero action and Steve and Diana’s relationship.  I think the addition of that supervillain.  Mark Russell and Nik Virella bring us “Loose Lips.”  This has Amanda Waller, the government official in charge of Suicide Squad, having Valentine’s Day dinner with Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet.  He brings up a coup in San Jacinto where we see the Suicide Squad team of Boomerang and Harley Quinn.  

Perry notes that Lois Lane is missing covering San Jacinto and has pics of Task Force X on a memory stick.  They are interrupted by a waitress who asks the lovers if they would like frappachino.  Amanda sends her away and Perry gets into the argument, but spills coffee over himself.  She checks the memory stick which has vacation pics and contacts Boomerang.  Perry returns and they get into a heated argument which ends with them kissing!  Surprising, but this is a cat and mouse, political game between this two powerful figures.  The next story, “A Tale of Two Titans”, by Marquis Draper and Pop Mhan, brings in new characters for me.  At the West home is Wally West, Kid Flash, he is the son of the Reverse-Flash and looks like the Kid Flash from the CW show.  He is nervously trying on outfits for his upcoming date.  Also there is Avery Ho, the Flash from China, introduced in The Flash #3 (2016).  At Teen Titans Academy, New York, we have Emiko Queen, Red Arrow reconfirming her dinner reservation.  She is the half-sister of Oliver Queen made her debut in Green Arrow #18 (2013). 

Uninterested is Crush, the daughter of the alien bounty hunter, Lobo, who uses Emiko’s bow to loose an arrow next to her!  Teen Titans Special #1 (2018) was her first appearance.  Meanwhile, we have Kid Flash racing to every men’s clothing store, we see on a map until he is stopped by Avery in her purple Flash uniform.  She’s checking on him when they see two supervillains, Mirror Master and Golden Glider, robbing a wedding store.  The superheroes have to defeat them, Kid Flash hugs Flash, and then runs off for his date.  Golden Glider replies, “Girlfriend, you are so friend zoned”, very funny!  There’s also some fun with Tim Seeley and Rebekah Isaacs’ Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy story, “The Beginning.”  In a splash page, nice!, we have Dr. Harleen Quinzel speaking to her patient, Poison Ivy, Pamela Isley.  Then, another splash page as we get the first team up of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn escaping with a doctor statue(?) from Batman and Robin!  They have wild adventures and we find out that it is the elderly Pamela checking on Harley in a hospital bed.  She has modified the Lazarus Seeds to give them a second chance.  Kinda touching.  Of course, there are five more stories packed in this anthology!  DC Love is a Battlefield have short, fun stories with excellent writers and artists!

Four Lazarus Seeds out of Five! 

#DCLoveisaBattlefield, #ChristosGage, #Xermanico, #CrystalFrasier, #JuanGedeon, #MarkRussell, #NikVirella, #MarquisDraper, #PopMhan, #TimSeeley, #RebekahIsaacs

Re:tro Re:view - Super Friends in Batman #35-37!

This Valentine’s Day made me think of the best issues of Batman and really Superman (in Batman)!  The never ending question is why is Superman interested in Lois Lane?  Slightly less concerning, until Batman proposes to her, why does Batman like Catwoman?  Both are answered at the same time and reveal all of the characters in two issues!  The Super Friends arc is by Tom King and Clay Mann.  It is collected in the trade paperback, Batman Vol. 5: Rules of Engagement (2018) which collects Batman #33-37 (2017-2018) and annual #2 (2018).  King started his arc with Volume 3 with DC Rebirth and finished with City of Bane in Batman #85 (2020).  He is currently working with Clay Mann on Batman/Catwoman Black Label title.  Catwoman accepted Batman’s proposal in Batman #32 (2017) at the conclusion of The War of Jokes & Riddles.  The cover by Clay Mann has Batman holding his line before Superman flying above the Daily Planet.  The first page is a splash of Superman flying above a train headed to tracks that have fallen, impressive.   

Superman is talking on his phone connection that he doesn’t worry about “his” call.  Lois is at the Daily Planet and says he should call him.  She’s multi-tasking taking some insurance information on the railroad.  Superman is flying with two fists as he says he is engaged.  Superman flies to stop the train.  Lois casually pins the information, split panels, as we see Superman holding the train.  Then, we get another splash of Batman also speaking about not needing to call him.  I like the parallel.  Both heroes are stubborn and prideful.  Catwoman is speaking as she knocks around two gunmen in hockey masks.  Her Catwoman is sleek with red-tinted goggles.  Batman is on a rooftop trying to say Gordon is his friend.  Catwoman kicking three men in silhouette responds that Gordon doesn’t know his name and then Batman admists that Alfred is his friend as he peers down at three gunmen.  Close-up of the guns, AK-47’s, as Batman shatters the rooftop window.  Catwoman kicks a door as they argue that Bruce pays Alfred.  Batman slams down on the gunmen with one pierced by several Batarangs.  

Catwoman tells Batman to call him.  She ends with a right cross at a man in hockey mask.  Of course, even at top condition, they would be a bit out of breath.  At a parking garage, Lois is telling Clark that she would like to meet her.  She says that her investigation into Catwoman has informed Lois that Catwoman is good at “finding what people try to hide.”  Lois hints that Catwoman may already know his identity.  On a gantry Catwoman explains that she knows Clark is Superman as Batman has a person dangling from the gantry.  Clark lowers his glasses and his x-ray vision, glowing eyes, very cool image, I hope Mann draws a Superman special.  Superman flies with Lois and they both go over each other’s origin.  Their conclusion is that Batman should be a killer and Superman should take over the world, but they don’t, both turning to hope.  There is admiration in both heroes.   It’s a clever pairing of the two heroes while Catwoman and Lois don’t let them rest on their excuses.  

Batman #37 opens with a geeky guy in a Wonder Twin outfit saying that they need to dress up for Super Hero Night at the Gotham Couny Fair.  Lois in a stunning flower dress finds the situation amusing, Clark with a red sweater checking his glasses, Bruce in a suit unimpressed and Selena just watches in her black dress.  They leave and Lois says that they do have superhero costumes.  She also suggests that they switch costumes!  Selena agrees.  Bruce in a changing room gets Superman’s cape handed over a stall.  Um, Lois checks Catwoman’s costume.  Clark looks at Batman’s uniform.  Catwoman, in Lois’ dress, just leans over to the ticket guy and meows, he admits them in.  In a splash page, we have Bruce as Superman, Selena, and then Lois as Catwoman and Clark.  Closeup as they eat corn dogs.  This is a very ordinary scene, a carnival, but made fun with actual superheroes.  They go to a high striker with a carnival worker dressed as Lobo with the hammer, it would be easy for Bruce to ring the bell every time!  They head to the tunnel love and Lois realizes that Bruce doesn’t wash his outfit like Clark, to the disgust of Selena.  At the end of the ride, Clark and Lois have enjoyed the ride, they need stability in their life of adventure, Bruce and Selena are kissing, the couple just needs some passion like their superhero life.  

Later, Bruce and Clark are hitting baseballs which are not a challenge from the machine.  Selena has a giant pink cat stuffie talking with Lois who takes out a hip flash which they share drinks.  They talk about the appeal of Bruce and Clark.  Bruce and Clark are competing against each other.  Lois and Selena talk about their fathers and then deaths, Lois says her reply to her maker is meow and they collapse laughing, best friends in strange situations.  A man dressed as the question snatches Lois purse, uh-oh.  Lois and Selena’s faces just react at what is going to happen.  Bruce and Clark casually scan the thief and Bruce tosses a baseball from a game.  It does not go well for the thief.  Clark and Bruce complain about competing while Selena has fun on the Red Tornado ferris wheel.  Bruce admits that when he falls, Selena catches me, exactly what she said of Bruce.  Selena mentions that Clark is “so Kansas.”  Batman realizes that Clark confides in Lois because of his loneliness.  They discuss this over ice cream cones.  The dialogue is so on the mark.  The night ends and clothes are exchanged, Superman at the pitching mound faces Batman at bat.  I don't think there is competition for Superman, he doesn't need to prove anything, his personality is more modest.  This is the most fun of two iconic characters, really four, and really more character interaction than action.  

Five Batarangs and Kryptonite Crystals out of Five! 

#Batman, #Superman, #SuperFriends, #TomKing, #ClayMann, #Selena, #Lois 

Happy Birthday Simon Pegg!

Happy Birthday Simon Pegg!  He started his collaboration with Edgar Wright with the brilliant comedy, Spaced, a perfect series about Tim Bisley thrown out by his girlfriend and pretending to be married with Jessica Haynes' flatmate!, the geekiest show of all!  Then, he was in 2004's Shaun of the Dead, directed by Edgar Wright, the best zombie movie that is funny and also stands as an energetic horror movie!  Pegg played the Editor in the Doctor Who episode "The Long Game " (2005).  He moved into action movies with Mission Impossible III (2006) as tech wizard Benji Dunn.  He scored as Nicholas Angel in Hot Fuzz (2007), a send up of cop action movies by Edgar Wright.  Then, he starred and wrote the screenplay for the comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run (2007).  Another of his signature parts came with JJ Abrams' Star Trek (2009) in the Kelvin timeline where he played Scotty now paired with his assistant Keenster.  He wrote about his life and films in his autobiography Nerd Do Well (2009).  Simon Pegg also ventured into fantasy with the voice of Reepicheep in The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).  

Then, he voiced Thompson, the detective who works with Nick Frost’s Thomson in the animated The Adventures of Tintin (2011). He co-wrote and starred along with Nick Frost in the extraterrestrial comedy Paul (2011).  Pegg returned as Benji Dunn in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) directed by Brad Bird.  Next, Simon Pegg entered the Star Wars Universe voicing Dengar in the “Bounty” (2012) episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  Next, he starred as Scotty in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).  Pegg finished the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy with Edgar Wright in the sci fi comedy The World’s End (2013).  Pegg voiced Hebert Trubshaw in the Laika animated movie The Boxtrolls (2014).  He returned as Benji Dunn in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015).  Pegg co-wrote and returned as Scotty in Star Trek: Beyond (2016).  He portrayed Ogden Morrow, in Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel.  Benji Dunn appeared in Mission: Impossible: Fallout (2018) played by Pegg.  He of course played the father of Hughie, the character based on his likeness in the comic, in The Boys.   He is currently on the Amazon Prime series Truth Seekers which he has co-created and stars in with Nick Frost.  Happy Birthday Simon Pegg!  

#SimonPegg, #ShaunoftheDead, #TheBoys, #TruthSeekers 

WandaVision, “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!”, Review!

Spoiler for last week’s bombshell episode!  Dr. Darcy Lewis mentioned an “astrophysics” who could build a transport that could enter the Westview Anamoly and protect the riders from being transformed into Wanda’s sitcom world.  This is rumored to be Reed Richards!  On Disney Investor Day, Kevin Feige announced a Fantastic Four movie in development with director Jon Watts.  Could this mention be a hint at a S.W.O.R.D. program that created the FF?  Lastly, there was hints from Wanda’s rapidly growing kids, Billy and Tommy, that they didn’t understand why she doesn’t bring back her brother, PIetro.  This was also something dark with the death of their dog, Sparky, and we ended the episode with a knock at the door.  Wanda opened it to reveal Pietro!  The stuning part is that it wasn’t Aaron Taylor-Johnson from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), as Darcy says, “She recast Pietro?” so instead we saw Evan Peters from X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)!  The X-Men brought into the MCU?  

Throughout it all, Vision is troubled by Wanda and tried to confront her.  The key is Wanda and we also saw how she walked out as Scarlet Witch through the bubble to deal with Director Hayward and S.W.O.R.D.!  Tune in this episode to find out how this will play out!   We get the home video of Tommy (in green clothes) with the 90’s sitcom a la Malcolm in the Middle for the WandaVision intro.  There is the credit for Agnes and also the kids Billy and Billy Maximoff (in red clothes). Then, their uncle, Pietro Maximoff, all using their super powers. It is Halloween as we are told by Billy with a red cape and blue headband like his Young Avengers character, Wiccan.  He is narrating to the camera which moves onto Tommy in green t-shirt.  He mocks his brother for his costume.  They take in bowls to see their uncle asleep on the couch. Pietro surprises them with his super speed.  Peters has done sitcoms with the Disney series, Phil of the Future.  Pietro is funny, a character challenging Wanda's reality.     

The kids scream at his antics and then we get Wanda walking down the stairs in comics accurate Scarlet Witch costume, not MCU realistic, more on the cosplay side.  Billy thinks she’s dressed as Red Riding Hood.  Pietro jokes about their costumes in Sokovia and we see a flashback with the twins as kids.  Billy notes his mother is acting strangely with the arrival of her brother, “a man child.”  Then, we get Vision in his cosplay comics accurate costume complete with yellow boxer shorts and cape.  Vision says to Wanda that he is dressed like a Mexican wrestler.  It looks like Vision is back in sitcom mode. He is about to leave to help with the neighborhood watch.  Wanda is upset, but Pietro says he will watch over the kids.  He leaves and Pietro startles Wanda with a spooky face.  Pietro wants shaving cream to put into water balloons.  She mentions that he doesn’t have a costume so he super speeds away and returns in Quicksilver costume with lightning bolt blue shirt and wild hair along with Tommy, who is the Young Avenger Speed.    

Then, we get night as the S.W.O.R.D. base scrambles with the distortion of the bubble’s wall.  Personnel bring in the disabled 80’s era drone with Monica angry at Director Hayward’s deception, Monica Rambeaux: First Blood.  Darcy makes fun of him and Monica says she works for her.  Jimmy says the threat of Wanda is something he can’t handle.  Director Hayward brings up Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, and Monica calls him a coward!   Hayward has the three escorted off the base.  Jimmy and Monica knock out the guards while Darcy is there stunned at their actions. They hide the guards and take their S.W.O.R.D. ponchos.  Back at Halloween, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch watch as the kids go off to trick or treat.  There is now a whole town of parents with kids.  Wanda asks Pietro about a kid in Sokovia, she wonders why he looks different, Pietro says, “If I found Shangri La, I wouldn’t want to be reminded of the past either.”  Quicksilver goes off with his nephews super speedster style.  Wanda goes up to Herb dressed as Frankenstein on patrol.  He reports as we see the speedsters go through the actions of taking all the candy, smashing the jack o lanterns, and covering everyone in Silly String! 

Herb says that Vision is not on duty for the neighborhood watch.  Vision is walking the streets and sees a woman about to put up a decoration, but just repeating the movement.  A tear drops from her eye at being forced to go through this farce.  Vision walks away.  Then, we get a claymation commercial with a shark talking to a kid on an island.  He has brought Yo-Magic yogurt cups.  The shark gives one to a kid, but we see in a dissolve, he can’t open the lid and turns into a skeleton.  The reality like the woman who couldn’t go through the forced decoration hanging is coming through.  Then, we return to the Halloween night, Pietro is not happy that his sister had them return all of the candy.  He talks about his sitcom function.  Wanda is suspicious he doesn’t have the Sokovian accent. Pietro admits that he was shot in the street, but came when “she needed him.”  The kids tell Uncle Pete about the candy.  Speed uses super speed, not using his uncle’s powers to race, to get the giant candy bars.  Wanda is happy at his use of powers and tells Tommy to take his brother warning them not to go past Ellis Avenue. This seems to be a hint to comics writer, Warren Ellis. 

At the S.W.O.R.D. base, the trio sneaks into an empty monitoring station, Darcy hacks into the system.  They find that Hayward is tracking Vision through his “vibranium signature” and has also detected all of the Westview residents.  Jimmy notes that Wanda’s control over the residents is weaker at the edge of town.  Vision sees the frozen citizens and shifts into his normal body.  He flies up to see parts of the town is inactive.  Then, he sees Agnes in her car frozen, he revives her and she says he is an Avenger, dead, and they not allowed to leave the town.  Back at S.W.O.R.D., Darcy has found Hayward analyzed Monica’s blood, she is being changed, into the superhero Spectrum?  Monica was introduced as a superhero, taking the name Captain Marvel, in Amazing Spider-Man annual #16 (1982).  We get Vision trying to get free of the barrier, but of course he has to remain inside of the bubble.  This has consequences for Hayward and S.W.O.R.D.!  Wanda’s power show as red hexes, has she taken the red Reality Stone?, the Aether that was in Thor: The Dark World (2013) to remake the harsh reality?  WandaVision is getting closer to getting the truth revealed, there is fun with Pietro, but Wanda is still in control!  

Three Mind Stones out of Five! 

#WandaVision, #AllNewHalloweenSpooktacular, #EvanPeters, #Sokovia  

Happy Birthday Jessica Green!

Happy Birthday Jessica Green!  One of her earlier roles was Kiki, an alien girl in the sci fi family show Lightning Point, also called Alien Surfer Girls (2012).  Next, she was in the true life drama Rise (2014).  A film role was in the thriller Red Billabong (2016).  She has a cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).  Green had a cameo as Lexx in “The Mettle of Man” (2018) episode of Ash vs Evil Dead.  Then, she played Cleopatra in the Roman Empire series. 

Currently, Green is cast as Talon, the last of the Blackbloods, a trained warrior who may have the key to saving the world of The Outpost. Season 2's finale had Talon and Gwynn defend the Outpost, but then had it taken over by Blackbloods!  Season 3’s finale had Talon again saving the Outpost and made queen!  Still, the zinj have returned to what looks like vampires so the Outpost faces new threats!  It looks like the series will continue with thirteen episodes!  Happy Birthday Jessica Green! 

#JessicaGreen, #AlienSurferGirls, #RedBillabong, #TheOutpost

Re:tro Re:view - THX 1138!

THX 1138 (1971) is the full expression of George Lucas as a creative artist, it of course trickles into his other work like Star Wars!  It is of course based on his student film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, made in 1967 for USC’s film school.  The 15 minute short was expanded to 1 hour, 28 minutes.  It is a science fiction film that is a dystopia like George Orwell’s 1984.  We can see that Star Wars is the opposite, a hopeful, imaginative escape.  Lucas’ next film, American Graffiti (1973) is more personal, reflecting his life in Modesto and it is a snapshot of teenage life moving into adulthood.  It set the standard for teen films and even though personal, it is relatable to all audiences.  So taken as a whole, the Lucas Trilogy of films; THX 1138 is Lucas’ fears, American Graffiti is his life, and Star Wars is his dreams.  It is important to watch all three to understand George Lucas as a filmmaker.  

The screenplay is by Lucas and Walter Murch, who also developed the Sound Montages.  Murch also worked on the sound in Apocalypse Now (1979) and directed and wrote the screenplay for the film, Return to Oz (1985).  The film opens with the beginning of a black and white Buck Rogers serial.  It’s peek into a sci fi future is still hopeful.  The film credits in green which might reflect the computer screens of the time scroll downwards.  It is possibly a descent into the dystopia of THX’s world.  The moody music is by Lalo Schifrin.  We get a beeping noise as we see an extreme close-up of numbers from what looks like a clock.  The movie is filled with chaotic mechanical images.  Surreal in part.  We see the face of THX 1138 (Robert Duvall) on black and white security footage.  This is a bold part, the man caught in a system, Duvall was known for playing Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972) and also Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now.  THX like other people has a shaved head and wears white shirt and trousers with an i.d. badge.  He wears a white skull cap and a headset which looks like a work uniform.  

Next, we see a woman, LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) who is THX’s roommate.  McOmie was later in the thriller Reflections of Passion (1975) and played Carol in Grand Junction (2006).  Her words are analyzed.  Control buttons are pushed.  Then, we see one of the Chrome Robots, escorting what looks like a prisoner to his room.  The guards in the film are dressed all in black, but have white helmets and unemotional, silver faces.  This is a contrast to the bone-white Imperial stormtroopers.  Johnny Weissmuller Jr. plays one of the Chrome Robots.  His father played Tarzan and Weissmuller himself was also in American Graffiti and the tv movie, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).  THX is controlling robot arms to assemble what will be the Chrome Robot guard.  We of course have a more friendly robot in C-3PO, but it is interesting to see a robot being put together.  THX is working to build one of the guards that control the population.  There is a number of voices informing THX and also we hear random conversations rattling off numbers and procedures.  

LUH is one of the monitors watching over people and watching her and THX is SEN 5241 (Donald Pleasence).  The actor played Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967) and later Loomis in the horror classic, Halloween (1978).  LUH is troubled by her monitor duty and almost misses a radiation overload on one of her screens.  The explosion rips apart doors and people, 63 we are informed.  THX hears the alarm, but reassured by the voices that there is no danger.  A body is dragged out of one of the rooms.  The violence and sexuality in the movie give it an R rating, so Lucas is not crowd pleasing here, this is a harsh look at the future like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.  THX has finished his shift and walks back to his home.  We see the police cars zipped by, identified as Samos-3 vehicles, these are Lola T70 MkIII race cars that figure in a later chase scene.  THX goes into a store where he picks up a red hexagon, consumerism is still in the future, it looks like a shopping center.  THX then goes into a private booth, he sees the face of OOM, voiced by James Wheaton. 

He admits his work error, this is a confessional, but OOM seems to give pre-generated, rote  responses.  THX also worries about his mate, LUH.  He goes on to say that the sedatives called Enerval he is taking are not working.  Drugs are used to control the population.  THX leaves the booth uninterested in OOM’s words.  He returns home to find a troubled LUH.  They are separate.  THX watches a nude woman dancing as a hologram.  Strange to see this reflected in Star Wars with Oola in Return of the Jedi (1983) and the holographic Diahann Carroll in the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978).  LUH switches pills while he is watching the hologram.  THX is shifting through programs and watches a Chrome Robot beating on a prisoner.  LUH joins him and we find that THX slowly breaking free of the conditioning.   SEN meets with THX and wants to be his roommate and THX sends a complaint against him. 

Later, THX 1138 is confined into a white room and struck by black poles by the Chrome Robots that shock him.  The sound effect almost has hints of a lightsaber.  It is basically an insane asylum where we also find SEN sent there, he tries to be a leader figure, but instead ends up following THX.  We also find Sid Haig as prisoner NCH.  THX decides to leave the asylum, it is an area of endless white, SEN follows him and they see SRT 5752 (Don Pedro Colley) who is an actor in the holoprograms.  He was in the sci fi sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and was Sheriff Little in The Dukes of Hazzard tv series.  THX 1138 finds a police vehicle, the acceleration has echoes of a landspeeder.  It’s a futuristic race car out of Lucas youth breaking him free from this dystopia, this part is an empty tunnel.  He is pursued by two guards riding white motorcycles.  THX 1138 has to go on foot and encounters Shell Dwellers which look like strange primates. THX 1138 is a challenging movie, full of surreal images, and a sci fi world that is in our real world, but lost in a dystopia!  

Four Enervals out of Five! 

#THX1138, #GeorgeLucas, #RobertDuvall, #MaggieMcOmie, #DonaldPleasence, #DonPedroColley 

Collecting Comics - Geek Truth Tips!

 How to Collect Comics?  This thought occured to me when I was putting together my collection of Wonder Woman comics.  Comic books need a constant stream of new readers.  This means people who are not interested in comics and especially young people!  Comic books were strange when I started collecting, stores started popping up everywhere, nearly every city, now you have to search for a comic book store.  This is really about what to collect rather than how to find that key, missing issue.  Let’s start with comic books.  Note that it started with funny books, reprints of newspaper strips, and was never taken seriously.  It is in Asia.  Japan puts manga on the level of literature.  We’re kinda there with Sandman and works like Maus.  Comic book films were really trapped in the Batman Effect from the tv show.  You would mention a new comic book movie and a friend or a stranger would say, “Oh you mean BAM! POW!”  They didn’t say that with Superman the Movie (1978) and of course not now with the MCU films.  Still, those millions of fans don’t read comic books so the best thing you can do as a comics fan is bring in new readers! 

Covers used to entice readers, “Not an Imaginary Story!”, but now it’s the graphics.  Artists are now the superstars.  At first, comic creators were anonymous, for the most part.  No creator credits for some time.  I think what solidified credits was Stan Lee turning creators of comics into superstars.  Now I’m always checking covers (or looking up credits on my phone) when I’m looking to buy a back issue.  The barrier to comics reading is that it is difficult to access what direction to look (that was the case for manga in the original Japanese for me) and the sequence of panels (some comic pages are still difficult to work out for me).  Also, again the subject matter might be thought too juvenile for older readers.  The best book for reading comics is Understanding Comics (1993) by Scott McCloud.  Teachers, parents, and family members who would like to develop children into readers, comics are the best way to get young people to read.  I know this from personal experience, in the classroom, and also from linguist, Stephen D. Krashen.  I saw an article that points this out: https://www.psd1.org/cms/lib4/WA01001055/centricity/domain/34/admin/comicbook.pdf.  If you can find a good comics retailer, at a store, online (you have to be careful with ebay, but I still order from there), or at a convention, it’s time to look at what comics to collect. 

The easiest to buy or collect what you know, most likely it will be the latest comic book film, a tv show like Game of Thrones, or a video game, like Halo.  I found that the most social, young groups are found with manga.  It was comic books.  Now manga readers go to the bookstores or Amazon, not the comic book store.  Manga covers every possible genre.  American comic books attempted to enter sports, romance, and some Westerns with mixed results.  I think comic book companies should get back into publishing manga comic books.  It was Marvel/Epic Comics that had Akira.  Dark Horse published What’s Michael?, Appleseed, and Lone Wolf and Cub.  Of course, they are mostly printed in book form which is how the original manga was presented.  Need a primer on manga?  Check out Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (1983) by Frederik L. Schodt.  There are some artists who have the manga style, recently there was GuriHuru drawing the Superman Smashes the Klan graphic novels with Gene Luen Yang (read his American Born Chinese!), and also the art on the upcoming Thor & Loki: Double Trouble!  There needs to be something special if manga comes in comic book form, special pin-ups by American comic artists, maybe a how to draw page, creator interviews or articles, and possibly novel or anime, animated film, or live action adaptation reviews.

So let’s look into superhero comic book collecting.  The first step may be a Character or a Team.  In this case, of course Wonder Woman.  Where to start?  Of course, there is the latest issues like Future State: Wonder Woman.  You can also go back and spend a few dollars to get back issues.  The idea of the de-powered Wonder Woman is controversial, but interesting, and over time, I bought this run, Wonder Woman #178 (1968) to 203 (1972).  Denny O’Neil and Mike Sekowsky (who took over scripting duties with #182) introduced I-Ching, brought in King Arthur, Roland, and the Valkryie, Brunnhilde, sword and sorcery heroes from novelist Fritz Leiber, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser appear with script by sci fi novelist, Samuel R. Delany!, and then he finished the run with #203.  Still, what about the first issue and origin?  There were Famous First Editions, F-6 (1975) was a reprint of Wonder Woman #1 (1942).  Also with that size there is All-New Collector’s Edition C-54 (1978), Superman vs. Wonder Woman, with José Luis García-López art!  In comic book form, there is Secret Origins #3 (1973).  

The next part is other Stories, the one that interested me was from an article in comic book mazine, The Twelve Trials of Wonder Woman, that had her prove her worth and trust to the Justice League of America.  It was in Wonder Woman #212 (1974) to 222 (1976).     The run was by Len Wein plus many other talents including Elliot S! Maggin, Martin Pasko, and art by Curt Swan!  This fascinated me because it was a mythic pattern like Hercules and showed that Wonder Woman was the most impressive member of the JLA.  Then, there are Keys; first issues, first appearances, origins, centennial issues, marriages, deaths, and last issues.  First appearances can be Nubia in Wonder Woman #204 (1973) by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck, Orana, the Amazon with red hair who took over as Wonder Woman in Wonder Woman #250 (1978), and Antiope, the general played by Robin Wright in the movie, first appearing in Wonder Woman #312 (1984).  If there is any real key it would be Wonder Woman #1 (1987) by Greg Potter and George Pérez.  There is a host of Amazons introduced in that issue; Menalippe, Philippus, and Aella.  

George Pérez also brings in the next level of collecting, Creators, writers and artists.  The run by George Pérez is from Wonder Woman #1 to 24 (1988), he wrote the stories from #25 (1989) to #62 (1992) with Chris Marrinan, Tom Grummett, and Jill Thompson as some of the incredible artists.  He wrapped up his run with the War of the Gods series with Circe bringing in the gods to take on the superheroes of Earth!  The run was collected in trade paperbacks, Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals (2004) - issues #1-7, Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Gods (2004) - issues #8-14, Wonder Woman: Beauty and the Beasts (2011) - issues #15-19 plus Action Comics #600, Wonder Woman: Destiny Calling (2006), - issues #20-24 plus Annual #1.  Twenty four issues of George Pérez’s work was collected in the Wonder Woman by George Pérez Omnibus (2015).   Another favorite is Gail Simone’s work from Wonder Woman #14 (2008) to 600 (2010).  One of the best Wonder Woman stories was in the first arc collected in Wonder Woman: The Circle (2008).  Wonder Woman #26-33 was gathered for Wonder Woman: Rise of the Olympian (2009).    

Speaking of Keys, Wonder Woman #329 (1986) was the last issue for the title when Crisis on Infinite Earths finished the character in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (1986).  It was by Gerry Conway and Don Heck.  Another good Story was The Contest in Wonder Woman #90 (1994) by William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato, Jr. (1994).  It introduced Artemis from the Bana-Mighdall Amazons who was competing to take the title of Wonder Woman.  This went into a #0 issue to issue #92 (1994).  This ramped up to issue #98 (1995) to #100 (1995), “Fall of an Amazon”, that determined who would be Wonder Woman!  Rebirth brought another Wonder Woman #1 (2016), “The Lies”, by Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp.  The next issue alternated another storyline, “Year One”, with art by Nicola Scott.  This moved Wonder Woman forward dealing with Cheetah and also looked back into her first meeting with Steve Trevor.  Rucka started with the graphic novel, Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (2002) with art by J.G. Jones.  Best cover with Wonder Woman’s smashing on the head of Batman.  The graphic novel that I would put on the top of the list is Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story (1988). It is a powerful story by Trina Robbins and Colleen Doran.  Comic book collecting has many facets, hopefully, this touched on some of them and you see how to build a collection that you are proud to build issue by issue!   

#CollectingComics, #GeekTruth, #WonderWoman, #GeorgePerez, #GailSimone