MC2 Cameo in Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5

 

This will be a super quick post to finish off the lean month, since it’s just been brought to my attention that the MC2 makes a cameo appearance in the latest issue of the Spider-Gwen mini-series  Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5. Here’s the relevant page which seems to depict at least a version of Cassie Lang aka Stinger and May ‘Mayday’ Parker aka Spider-Girl:

 

 

I should point out the Spider-Girl costume is inaccurate, as is often the case with these sort of cameo glimpses over the past decade. But more importantly, I do not understand why the relatively new Captain America from 2099-related comics is featured in the same slice of the page. Either the artist (Jodi Nishijima) meant this to be Shannon Carter aka American Dream and got the wrong costume reference or this slice is representative of more than one universe.

 

Until I find a new job with better hours and better pay, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

I was lucky enough to attend an early screening of Sony's new animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and thought I'd share my thoughts with my readers. Beware, there will be SPOILERS from here on out!

I Just Wanna Talk

I've not been giving much over to this blog lately. Life. That's my excuse, anyway. This post is gonna be a bunch of smaller topics that have been kicking around in my skull the past few days. Here goes nothing.

Thank you Emma Stone

I know! I know! Amazing Spider-Man 2 wasn't the best movie - or even the best Spider-Man movie - but you can't deny the sheer brilliance, wit and charm of Emma Stone's turn as Gwen Stacy. Gwen Stacy, the girl famous for dying. Really, that seems to be all she's known for, and looking back at her character in the original Lee/Ditko/Romita days, there isn't much to build a character from. In the early days as a character, she's very hell-hath-no-fury and soon after Romita shows up on pencils, Gwen becomes a bit of a crier and to be honest...an emotional wreck. Seriously love Bertone's work, by the way. He does great articles. Anyway, now we have a more well rounded character to refer to with Gwen Stacy. I know! I know! She's not the canon, Marvel 616, original 1960's character. I don't care. She's a better Gwen Stacy. For once, it's not just about how she died, though obviously there is that too. But now, we've got something more fleshed out and real. And that's fantastic! So thanks again, Emma Stone. Now I care about Gwen Stacy.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been somewhat strong. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's been as strong as I'd hoped, but after Captain America: The Winter Soldier, my confidence in the Studio to turn out quality, assured films his restored. But aside from all the sequels this time around, there's just one new property to test the cinema-goers tastes: Guardians of the Galaxy. This- to me- is the big one. If this film pulls it off and does not only well at the box office, but well in the critical arena then I will be a wholesale convert.This is an unknown property. I'm a big Marvel Comics fan and yet I know next to nothing about this iteration of the Guardians. Think about that. Marvel Studios is being pretty brave trying to make this film in the first place. Outside of a niche fan base, who has heard of these characters? Nobody. That's ballsy. Those trailers look amazing. I sincerely hope this film does exceptionally well and more unknown or risky properties get a chance to shine.

Well, I'd love to continue this post, but my darling partner is instructing me to get out more, so until I return, I remain

frogoat

Review: Amazing Spider-man

This is my late review of the new Spidey flick, The Amazing Spider-man. I'm on the fence on this one. I'm genuinely surprised by all the positive reviews, though, I have to say. I watched the film and I kept waiting for it to snatch me away on a web-line and take me on an adventure. Let's start with the good, then, shall we?

 Andrew Garfield is Peter Parker. With his gangly frame, and his delivery of snappy jokes and jabs, he was Spidey, while also demonstrating the angsty emotions and intelligence of that geek Peter I've know much of my life, Peter Parker. Emma Stone shines as a modern-day Gwen Stacy, with her awkward but somehow confident flirting with Garfield and her natural air of intellect and charm make her a worthy companion. Honestly, I felt the entire cast did an amazing job. Heck, the special effects were dang good too.

 The trouble is, the film never goes anywhere. Yes, Uncle Ben dies and Peter attempts to find the killer. Yes, Curt Conners becomes the Lizard. And yes, Captain Stacy even dies at the climax of the film. But it never felt like the elements of the story fitted together naturally. In fact, watching some of the trailers and thinking over what I saw in theaters, I'm inclined to believe several scenes were shoot and inserted late in production, while others were removed from the final product. For example, there is a subplot involving Peter looking into his parents disappearance that leads him to the Dr Conners lab. Only, he never really asks the good doctor anything about his parents, while a clip from one of the trailers depicts the Lizard taunting Peter with this information. Funny, that wasn't in the film. A lot of scenes end up feeling like this; set up, build up, and then dropped. The shadowing villain behind the Ratha fulfills his role by putting pressure on Conners to deliver a...cure, I guess, for Osborn, who we are told is dying. Ratha shows up throughout the film until the Lizard emerges and appears to be hunting him...but then we never see Ratha again. He just disappears midway through the story. I'm guessing another victim of studio meddling.

But honestly, I could have forgiven so much more because, as I said, the performances were all brilliant. I enjoyed a sort-of-homage to Sam Raimi's films with New York workers pulling strings to get Spidey to the location of his big showdown with the Lizard. I hope this review doesn't come off as overly negative, as I found a lot to enjoy in this film, with it's more serious tone and it's mechanical webshooters. I just wish there was more to like. At the end of the day, I enjoyed it enough to walk away happy that they made another Spidey flick, but also wondering how Marvel would have handled it's top hero, given the chance.