This week on the show, Greg and Mike wax nostalgia and talk about olden times, bring back a long-lost segment of the show, and talk about some of the various news and notes making the rounds this week.
And if you make it to the end, the guys run down some of the offerings on the Disney+ streaming app.
For their first episode of 2019, @chadsmart and Eric Bennett start the show discussing Eric’s most anticipated films of 2019. From there, Chad explains how the cost of going to the movies keeps him away from the theater which leads to a bigger discussion regarding the price of extracurricular activies.
Nerds United Episode 115: Friday Night Thoughts on Aquaman and Marvel[ 1:43:53 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (989)
Hey there! Happy Friday night/Saturday morning. Greg and Mike got together and spent a little time on Facebook as well as some audio-only content. We cover Aquaman and the DC Cinematic Universe, as well as the DC CW crossover event this past week titled Elseworlds.
Also, since we last got together, Marvel released trailers for Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame.
Plus we have a special treat from Greg’s early terrestrial radio days, and lots of love for Tom and Jim’s Top 5.
Don’t forget to get your shirts and merch from the shop! Your support is greatly appreciated, and if you did order a shirt, share your merch on social media so we can give you props!
Hello and welcome to a brand new Nerds United. We sure are happy you’re here.
In this week’s episode, Mike and Greg talk about their Thanksgiving weekends and their awesome families. Another of your favorite Marvel shows is leaving Netflix, which we all anticipated. Fuller House is still on the streaming service. But that Disney App is starting to look pretty inviting. However, we’re still pretty sure there’s one 1946 movie that will remain buried in the vault.
Hear Nickelback cover a Metallica song, and hear the guys talk about the Joker movie, and how Mike says the DC Cinematic Standalone Universe is still unproven.
“You’re a wizard, Harry.” Famous words from a famous giant (or giant-like man). But what are some ridiculous things that Hagrid could have told Harry Potter that would have been just as believable (if not just as odd) as telling a ten-year-old boy that he’s a wizard?
Thanks to everyone who has picked up a shirt. Want to be one of the cool kids? Get your shirt here.
It is time for a brand new episode, back home in the kitchen of the Nerds United Lair!
But fear not, we’re bringing the spirit of 4204 Main Street Brewing Company (or should we say spirits…we’re drinking) with us.
In this episode, we’re talking about Wolverine: The Long Night, which completed its ten-episode run of season one this past weekend on Apple Podcasts. We also talk about Secret Invasion, Heroes in Crisis, Brad Meltzer’s Justice League run, Superman Red Son, and a lot more.
At the end of the episode, we also give away a copy of The Comic Book Story of BEER!
If you like beer and you like comic books, you will love this book! It’s chock full of great information!
Enjoy the podcast on your favorite podcast app or check out the live stream on the Facebook page!
Nerds United Episode 111: Hanging Out at the 4204 Brewery[ 1:32:58 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (661)
You read that right, true believers! In this very special “Field Trip Edition” of the podcast, Greg and Mike are hanging out and recording from the 4204 Main Street Brewing Company Taphouse/Production Brewery. In other words, if you’re in Illinois, Missouri, or Kansas and you see a six-pack of a delicious 4204 brew, it was brewed right behind where we were sitting.
We were very fortunate that the good people at the brewery, from the owners to the Head Brewer Keith to Deja the Taphouse Manager and provider of fine ales and lagers, opened their doors to us. Because we like beer. And they have beer. It’s a perfect symbiotic relationship.
So the first thirty or so minutes of the podcast, we were actually streaming and recording live on Facebook. Three people. Two microphones. We’re podcasters, not math geniuses. Anyway, that first half hour was spent with Keith learning all about the beer making process and also trying different beers. You’ll notice in the featured photo that Greg finished his beers. He ended up bringing two growlers home, including the Tickle for his wife.
After we let Keith get back to work, Mike and Greg talk about some comic book topics, including Return of Wolverine, Heroes in Crisis, and Cry Havoc.
There’s a giveaway we’re working on. It is for The Comic Book Story of Beer. Fitting, right? Let’s do this. If you read this, share the post on Facebook. I’ll enter all who do into a random drawing and the winner will get the graphic novel delivered to their front door!
That’s pretty much it. Enjoy the show, and thank you again to Keith, Deja, and everyone who helped make our trip to 4204 Brewery possible!
Nerds United Episode 110: Drinking, Halloween, and Comics[ 1:55:18 | 158.35 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (773)
In this BRAND NEW EPISODE of Nerds United, Greg and Co-Host of the YEEEAAARRR Mike regale each other with tales of alcohol foolishness from days gone by. We also talk about our favorite Halloween candy, haunted houses and a slew of nerdy topics. Let’s run down the list.
Marvel Civil War vs MCU’s Civil War
Mark Millar’s Huck
Marvel and Netflix
The Immortal Iron Fist
Luke Cage
Heroes for Hire…?
The Flash (aka the Scarlet Speedster aka the Fastest Man Alive)
Rejection from Pro Wrestling Tees (insert sad face here)
Support Kevin from My 1-2-3 Cents the Podcast and HIS PWT’s store HERE!
Wolverine: The Long Night – the serial podcast for ANYONE who enjoys a good murder mystery
ABCD-bagz
Tom and Jim’s Top 5
As always, friends, we appreciate your support and love those who give it. We hope you enjoy this episode and all of our episodes. And while you support us for FREE, we encourage you to support others carving their own path in independent content creation. With that in mind, PLEASE consider supporting West of Oz on Kickstarter. You have only seven more days to lend your support. This is a great project. I (Greg) have personally supported it twice in the past and have done so again. If you need a refresher of what you get with the West of Oz story, please go back and listen to Episode 109 in the archives. Here’s the link to the Kickstarter. It’s a great way to help others realize their dreams.
And since you’re such great people, please enjoy this picture we discussed in the episode about me as the illegitimate fifth member of MuDvAyNe back in 2003 when I was a wee lad of 21.
Nerds United Episode 106: Captain Marvel, Dark Phoenix, and Much More[ 2:04:04 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (738)
It’s time for a brand new episode of your favorite comic book/movie/pop culture podcast that you can find on the Jittery Monkey Podcast Network. Mike and Greg talk about the Captain Marvel trailer, the Dark Phoenix trailer, Deadpool 2, what we’ve seen from the new Joker movie, and take a trip back in time to movies they appreciated as children. For Mike, it was the Savage brothers and Howie Mandel in Little Monsters. For Greg, it was being introduced to the F-Bomb in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Critters (seen here).
We also talk about beer, have our weekly review of Tom and Jim’s Top 5 (you’re welcome), talk about podcasts at the grassroots level and how they (okay, we) need your support. Not financial (not yet). But just help us get the word out about our podcasts here at Jittery Monkey. Share them with your friends. Subscribe if you haven’t already. Rate and review on your favorite podcast app. It helps. And we appreciate you.
Nerds United Episode 105: Discussing Various Cinematic Universes[ 138.22 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (614)
In this episode, Greg and Mike discuss some of the cinematic universes, as well as what constitutes a cinematic universe instead of a linear story.
These two former classmates also share some high school stories, including both being in the National Honor Society and then kicked out of the illustrious organization.
The show gets interrupted by Greg’s son who decided that he didn’t need to stay in his bed.
And then we dive deep into the topic at hand: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the Worlds of DC, the Universal Monsters Universe and the Monster-verse featuring Godzilla and King Kong.
A brief chat about Captain Marvel at the end that it was go-home time. So give it a listen and follow the show on social media and subscribe on your own favorite podcast app.
Hey everybody! Greg and Mike (@MikeRLuther) here. This week on an all-new episode of the show, we take your questions. But we also did something fun on Facebook as we streamed the first ten or fifteen minutes of the recording before switching primarily to the audio format. So head over to Facebook.com/nerdsunitedshow and watch that before listening to the remainder of the episode.
Also, BIG shout out to Tom from Tom and Jim’s Top 5 for interacting with us on Facebook. They also have a new episode coming out today. So make sure you subscribe to and download their shows as well.
So some of the questions we answer pertain to DC Universe streaming app, comic book characters we’d like to see on the big screen (that we haven’t yet), the Marvel/James Gunn/Dave Bautista situation, and favorite fictional beverages.
Plus we discuss Power Rangers, the Batman movie, Baywatch, and a lot more.
At the end of the episode, we talk about high-dollar collectibles or memorabilia we’d own if money was no factor. So I leave it to you. Head over to Facebook and join the discussion by telling us what pop culture piece of memorabilia you’d own if you could.
Hey everyone and thank you for taking the time to click the link, open the description in your podcast app, or however you came across reading these words.
I APPRECIATE YOU!
As many of you know, for this episode, I was really wanting to have Kevin Smith as my guest. But that ended up not happening. I’ll try him again at a different time. I know he has plenty of irons in various fires.
So for this episode, I’m just getting you caught up on some of what I have been and will be reading. I’ve told my people at Twilight Comics (in Swansea, IL) that I’m going to convert from single issues to trade paperbacks, and to start ordering accordingly for me. The staff there is always thinking of new ways to get people in the doors, and Tuesday night’s “wedding celebration” of Batman and Catwoman was no different. I wasn’t there, but my son had some leftover cake on Wednesday.
So here’s a short list of some books I recommend: Superman/Batman: Finest Worlds, Kwame Hightower and the Man With No Name, and for kicks, anytime you see a Hellboy TPB on your store’s shelves, just buy it and read it.
That’s all for now. You’re great. I thank you for 5+ years of support and listenership and I promise that Episode 200 will be before 2023.
Nerds United Episode 99: Counting Down Our Favorite "Bad" Comic Book Movies[ 2:22:46 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (680)
In the vein of Tom and Jim’s Top 5, Co-Host of the Year Mike and I do our own Top 5 Countdown, and it’s our favorite “guilty pleasure” comic book movies.
The only criteria are as follows: It has to be a movie based on a comic book, and it has to have a Rotten Tomatoes score of less than 50%.
What made our lists? What movies narrowly missed our lists and were relegated to “honorable mention” status? And what did you, the listener, contribute to the show? Plus we have seamlessly interwoven some movie clips into the episode. But if you want a Top 5 done right, go listen to Tom and Jim’s Top 5. Theirs don’t go nearly as long.
And since I included Revis’ “Caught in the Rain” on the episode, here’s a little bit about that other closing credits song we talked about.
If you love fantastic music, I really encourage you to check out the debut album of Revis, available a click away on Amazon!
Mike is here and we’re talking comics! We each read a graphic novel and brought it back to discuss. I brought some 2003 Robert Kirkman to the table. Not The Walking Dead. But rather – Invincible!
Mike brought a Brian Michael Bendis creation, Miles Morales, to the show. Miles is away from the Ultimate Universe. Which crazy Marvel characters does he encounter? Hint – Golden Balls. But also, Jessica Jones.
WHAT?!? This comic isn’t new. Go get it!
There’s also a long interlude about the old high school days, and the “cool kids.” So if you ever wanted insight into my high school life, there you have it.
Shout out’s to Mike’s son Nolan, as well as Mike’s mom, a loyal listener of Episode 95, and probably 97.
Big shout out to Lion Forge Comics in St. Louis. My job took me into their office on Thursday. I got to see my friend Lorenzo and writer/artist David Gorden. They hooked me up with Gorden’s labor-of-love and three-year project Kwame Hightower: And the Man With No Name.
David will be joining me on an upcoming episode of the show. Lorenzo and I will get together in a couple months ahead of the release of his book Scarab!
Want to read David’s book? You can have it in-hand in just a couple days by using the link below!
Nerds United Episode 95: Spoiling Avengers Infinity War[ 2:08:56 | 177.08 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (840)
WARNING!!!!!!!
If you have not seen Avengers – Infinity War, do NOT listen to this episode. Download it, save it, and listen to it ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE WATCHED THE MOVIE!!!
We seriously pull no punches when talking about the happenings of the movie.
Who is “we,” you ask? Well, that story gets told in the episode, but long story short, I’m joined by my high school classmate Mike Luther, a fellow nerd who a) has seen the movie (obviously) and 2) lives in the same town as me. It’s really convenient that way.
And we drink beer. Just a couple. We’re responsible.
So what happened in Avengers – Infinity War? I’m sure as hell NOT going to tell you here. You need to listen to the show. But if you are listening to the show, you should have seen the movie by now.
That makes sense, right Mike?
[Mike nods affirmation]
So listen to the show, and then head over to the Amazon link and buy something. Anything. They have it.
Don’t forget that this Saturday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo, is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! So go support your LOCAL comic book shops.
Nerds United 94: SPOILER FREE Avengers Infinity War Review[ 24:46 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (578)
Let’s face it…you hate spoilers. I know this because I too hate spoilers, and I feel like we think alike on this subject.
Avengers – Infinity War has only been in theaters for about a week, and that’s not enough time for everyone to have seen the movie. But I moved Heaven and Earth to be able to watch the newest offering from Marvel Studios this past weekend, and I am sure glad I did.
What I have for you in this episode of Nerds United is a SPOILER FREE review. And truth be told, it’s not even much of a review. I hit a few high points. I don’t spoil anything. And I just say “this movie is amazing, you need to watch it!”
Is that something you feel you can get behind?
Good.
Because TOMORROW I will drop another brand new episode where I talk all about the movie and spoil it up the wazoo! So listen to this episode, go give Marvel/Disney your $10-$15, and then come back and listen to the episode all about Avengers – Infinity War!
This episode is born out of my friend Josh urging me to see Justice League. He saw it and, in his words, “dug it.” He said I need to see it right away so we could discuss it.
But there’s a little obstacle in the path to the movies, snack bar, and the silver screen.
My wife and I have a son and little free time. I’ve been to the theater just a handful of times since he was born, and my wife even fewer times. But the genre movies don’t stop being released. So I have an idea that would be great for consumers like me – but pretty horrible for movie theaters. Two words…digital streaming.
So give the show a listen and then utilize the comments section and tell me if you agree with my idea or not. I’m looking forward to your response.
When you haven’t recorded a new episode in almost six weeks, some thoughts accumulate.
In the new episode, I talk a little bit about Stranger Things. I can only talk a little bit about it because I’ve only seen one episode. Hence, I’m “late to the party.”
I’m also late to the party because I didn’t realize that the new seasons of many comic book tv shows had started, those being The Flash, Arrow, Gotham, etc.
I AM UP TO DATE ON THE WALKING DEAD!
And I am really enjoying Seth MacFarlane’s ORVILLE on FOX. And I break down a recent episode and how it pertains to modern society. ORVILLE is a sneaky smart show that is more than 10% funnier than Star Trek.
Towards the end, I throw out some secondary and tertiary comic characters I’d like to see on the big screen. So in the comments, tell me if you agree or who you’d like to see get their big shot.
It’s the podcast three or four months in the making. Hear the tale about why it took us so long to hook up for a recording and why the night we did record was so disadvantageous (but we made the best of it, because Jackie rocks).
We talk about Jason’s early years as a reader of comics, and how he went to art school and the advice he was given. Anthology work begat an opportunity to work with one of the best writers in the business on Daredevil (seen in the featured photo…DD #33, for you readers there).
We get more info on Kill All Monsters – available now pretty much everywhere – and what Jason has been doing since Kill All Monsters wrapped up.
Jason did a three-issue stint on IDW’s Judge Dredd:
And now he’s working on writing a story of his own for which he will also do the art, so there’s a great opportunity to have him on the show again in the future to talk about Full Tilt.
Enjoy the show. Like, Comment, Share, and rate/review on iTunes. Your support is greatly appreciated.
I put out the call for your questions and you came through. In this episode, I field questions about Image Comics’ Cowboy – Ninja – Viking (coming to a theater near you in 2019), Ready Player One (coming to a theater near you in March), and my overall thoughts on the DC Cinematic Universe. There’s also a question about books I would recommend that aren’t of the comic book variety, and I provide a dramatic reading of my son’s favorite book.
Be sure to check out Kickstarter for the “Project We Love,” West of Oz.
http://kck.st/2gcTXd6
And as promised, here’s the trailer to Ready Player One.
The largest Popular Culture convention of the year, San Diego Comic Convention recently wrapped up it’s 2017 edition. Host @chadsmart is joined by a panel of Comic Con attendees to discuss how this year’s Con compared to previous years and why people spend up to 16 hours in line to see presentations they could have watched on YouTube . In addition to panels, the discussion touches on topics ranging from all the non-convention center attractions, collectibles and a run-in with Andy Serkis.
*Editor’s note…this is till my favorite moment from Hall H a few years ago. – GM
On this week’s episode, host @chadsmart is joined by Nerds United host Greg Mehochko and My 1-2-3 Cents host Kevin Hunsperger to discuss the rise of feminism in society.
The first half of the show focuses on the DC cinematic universe and whether Wonder Woman is actually a good movie or if it is given more leeway due to being the first female driven superhero movie.
Second half discussion looks at the online outrage of WWE’s recent first ever women’s Money in the Bank match.
Nerds United Episode 77: Game of Thrones, Castlevania, and Acting[ 20:54 | 28.71 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (877)
All right kids, so here’s the new episode. It’s another road recording. And admittedly, it’s not nearly as thorough and complete as I’d like. But…it is what it is.
So earlier in the day, we received a trailer for Season 7 of HBO’s Game of Thrones. So I’m excited about that.
We also received a teaser trailer for a new project headed to Netflix later this year. And though I shared a different version on Facebook earlier in the day, well, I like this one more.
I take great issue with this, based just on the first two actors listed. But the point is this:
More blame should be levied on the director/producer than the actor portraying the role. And who are you as the author of that article to speak for everyone when calling those performances the most despised? Maybe they were more disappointing to you than other performances. But that’s more your fault based on your expectations of A abd receiving B.
But I digress. There’s more for me to get into on that subject, but that is – I think – more of a blog post when I have the time to disagree with most of the author’s points.
Nerds United Episode 76: Star Wars, Logan, FCBD, and More![ 25:39 | 35.24 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (948)
Heeeey I’m back, recording from the road. It’s safe, I’m fairly certain.
Plenty to talk about in the 76th episode of Nerds United. I’ve been reading comics (SHOCKING, I KNOW!), so there are a few titles I’m talking about, and a reminder to you that this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day (hit that hyperlink to see what books are available this year).
Today is May the Fourth…Star Wars Day. What’s your favorite Star Wars moment? I have a few myself.
Whose names get mentioned here? Let’s see…Logan, Taskmaster, Moon Knight, Crossbones, Captain America, Daredevil, Darth Bane, Darth Vader…I mean, it goes on and on.
I also recap my day at the Cape Comic Con a couple weeks ago!
Also starting a new feature on Facebook today, and every #ThorsDay. An image of the god of thunder from a talented artist on DeviantArt. Give it a look, and all credit to lukealderson1898 for the first Thor image used for this weekly feature.
Hey, if you like the show, if you like Nerds United, please share it with your friends and fellow nerds. I would really appreciate it!
What is fandom? What effect has geek culture going mainstream had on fans who were reading comic books or into superheros before it was cool? These questions and more are discussed in the latest installment of Positive Cynicism. Host @chadsmart is joined by Eric Bennett to try and understand what motivates someone to have extreme fandom. Along the way they discuss what Marvel is doing right and DC is doing wrong to create their cinematic universe and how it reflects on the comic book source material.
Now before you start wondering, let me clear the air here.
I’m not giving Marvel an Ultimatum. I’m not saying “put Steve Rogers back in the red, white, and blue” or “for crying out loud, please cast Nathan Fillion in something more than voice work!”
Marvel isn’t handing out ultimatums to Sony or 20th Century Fox or anything lile that regarding any of their properties.
This is about “Marvel Ultimatum,” a five-issue mini-series that was published in 2008-2009. Best I can tell, it takes place in Marvel’s Ultimate universe. Written by the incredible Jeph Loeb and penciled by David Finch, it is a Marvel comic event that, I think, caused everyone to look around and say “well, I think we’re all glad that didn’t happen in the main continuity.”
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
To put it mildly, it’s a damn bloodbath. The story opens with a swell of water that floods New York City. Meanwhile, Eastern Europe is covered in a deep winter that kills man, woman, and child. Earthquakes in Wakanda. Volcanoes in the Amazon. In the first issue, the death toll reaches the millions.
And no one is immune. Throughout the series, heroes are offed left and right. Some from the initial natural disasters, but most from the ensuing conflicts.
Now I fully admit that I only read the core Ultimatum story, without going into the Requiem tie-ins or any other titles. But it was a relatively easy book to digest, and I was able to finish it in one sitting. Truth be told, it wasn’t on my radar initially, and I only knew about it from a YouTube video (I don’t remember which one now). But it did give me a pretty sweet #BOOM! picture I was able to use after selling a car.
But here’s a list of Marvel characters who are killed in Ultimatum:
Beast
Nightcrawler
Dazzler
Franklin Storm
Emma Frost
Wasp
Blob
Hank Pym
Longshot
Forge
Doctor Strange
Cannonball
Professor X
Spider-Man (he would later be revealed to be alive)
Angel
There are more. But it’s almost as if George RR Martin wrote the story. And here’s the thing. There are A-list names above. But what I haven’t told you yet is Thor sacrificed himself and stayed behind in Hel to save Valkyrie and Captain America.
So let’s let the story unfold. It is realized that Magneto changed the magnetic fields at Earth’s north and south poles. That caused all the destruction and devastation. It’s learned that he’s essentially punishing mankind for the death of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. So all the heroes go to his floating fortress for the confrontation. That’s where Angel dies. It’s where Magneto kills Wolverine and where Cyclops returns the favor.
A few days later at a press conference, while Cyclops is addressing the crowd on the steps of Congress he’s assassinated. After that, Doctor Doom has his head crushed by the Thing.
Like I said, there is an unnerving amount of death in these five issues. But the most gruesome death is that of Janet van Dyne aka Wasp. Hawkeye turns the corner and sees Blob feasting on her torso. Blob meets his end when Hank Pym picks him up and bites his head off, then spitting it out and dropping Blob from a very high distance.
I mean…it’s gratuitous. It’s unnerving.
It’s Rated T for Teen.
Now Ultimatum is not the best comic book out there. It’s not one of Jeph Loeb’s best. That’s on the other side of the Marvel/DC aisle:
And that’s just my opinion. But that is a great story.
So where does that leave Ultimatum? Well, I read it out of morbid curiosity. I think we all do that from time to time. But this is a unique story that shows the demise of a good portion of the Marvel Earthly heroes. If you’re curious and didn’t see my [SPOILERS] as a bad thing, I encourage you to seek it out, borrow it from a friend. If you’re not curious, well the good news is that there are a lot of comics out there to scratch almost any itch you might have. Go to your local comic book store, tell them where your interests lie, and then listen and honestly consider their recommendations.
It’s a big beautiful world of comics out there, kids. Go get you some.
Yesterday, we received a little teaser for the Defenders series coming to Netflix, and in its simplicity, set the stage for what Marvel has been building since Daredevil debuted on the streaming video service in 2015.
It’s hard to believe it was only two years ago next week that the Man Without Fear came to life once again.
If the teaser for Defenders is to be believed, we are a mere four and a half months away from the series dropping.
Honestly, they look exhausted. And if you remember the second season of Daredevil, you’ll remember “Midland Circle” is the organization behind the giant hole (I’m going to call it a crater) in Hell’s Kitchen.
So here’s the thing. Daredevil (both seasons), Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage are pretty well loved across the board. But Iron Fist hasn’t reached that point, and likely never will. I initially wasn’t sure what to think of the Finn Jones casting. I think that of the four, he may have been the easiest to cast away from the traditional look of the character (ie the whitewashing everyone is claiming). I believe it was Kevin Smith or Marc Bernardin on the duo’s Fatman on Batman podcast that suggested an Asian-American actor be given the chance to be Danny Rand. I don’t mind the show staying more true to the origin of the character, but I do wish the actor chosen for the role had some martial arts background. Jones has a zen-like quality about him, and aside from the fighting scenes, I don’t have any complaints.
But those fighting scenes. Yeesh!
I truly think that Iron Fist was doomed from the beginning, but not from any shortcomings it has. Rather, the almost unattainable standard set by the three previous shows put the arrival of the final Defender behind a sizable 8-ball.
So when Defenders hits in a few months, I fully expect Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) or Luke Cage (Mike Colter) to steal the show. Jessica Jones‘ first season was about a victim overcoming her past of abuse and her former abuser. We’ll get a second season of that show as well. Luke Cage was a really enjoyable show with a unique setting in Harlem. It was different to see the villain [SPOILER ALERT] die midway through only to be replaced by a more conniving, manipulative villain. And we’ll get a second season of that in the future as well.
Daredevil will also get a third season, and I’m sure we’ll see a Punisher series based on the popularity of the character from his run in Daredevil S2.
The fact is – the Marvel Netflix shows are wildly popular. Defenders will be huge when it drops, despite the lackluster reception of Iron Fist.
Now, The Defenders in the comics has a long history dating back to the 1970s, and has seen many many incarnations through the years. However, a team consisting of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Power Man (Luke Cage), and Iron Fist has not appeared in comics, based on my limited research. Marvel and Netflix announced in 2013 that the Defenders were coming, and named four characters that would make up the team.
But if you want a solid Defenders title to read, I’m going to throw out at you the 2011 series written by Matt Fraction with art by Terry Dodson.
Otherwise, we’ll talk more about Defenders when the show arrives in August.
I should write them down first thing in the morning so that I can share them with you here.
Now, they aren’t all winners. They aren’t all memorable. And many are mundane. When I was a youngster, I had dreams that I was sitting in class and the teacher was coming around collecting homework and I didn’t have mine completed. I DIDN’T HAVE MY HOMEWORK COMPLETED!!!
Now I have mundane dreams of answering phone calls and responding to e-mails. But every once in awhile, a dream will occur that raises eyebrows about what the hell is going on in my brain.
When I was in college, I had a dream that I was in a downtown office building, skyscraper style. The building was under attack. I’m running around the halls grabbing guns. I shotgun a dude through his chest. Then I grab a sniper rifle and get to the window. With the zoom feature, I look at the roof of the building over, and as I squeeze the trigger to take out an enemy, I see the RPG that they fired a second earlier. Explosion. Vision goes red. When my vision clears, I am a few floors down, running through the hallways again upping my arsenal. My thought at the time was “what the – I’ve already been here before!” That’s right, my dream was a first-person shooter video game.
I have three “nightmares” from my childhood that I remember vividly. One was me hanging on the ledge of a skyscraper (I must like city architecture) while Slimer was just inside the glass laughing at me. I was in my single-digits. I had another where Jason fired up a chainsaw (oddly not his weapon of choice) at the foot of my bed. The third was when I opened the door to the garage and saw my dad, which alone isn’t bad. But there was a two-car garage full of my dad. There had to be a hundred of him. I don’t know why, but it caused some sort of dad-overload. I was young for all of these dreams.
Take this morning for instance. Now granted, I don’t remember every detail. But I can recall the high points.
It’s the end of the world…in a Marvel movie. I know this because at one point I’m on a roof with my wife, a few other family members, and some random people. There’s an atmospheric…event, I suppose. It’s storming. There’s debris in the air. At one point, I remark that all will eventually be well, as Thor will likely save the day. What, you don’t dream of Thor? Actually, he didn’t make an appearance. As I said, it’s the end of the world. And no one brought any damn food! No one but me…because I’m a fatty, and I had my lunch with me from that day. Two turkey sandwiches. The problem? It was a Friday – in Lent – so I couldn’t have the turkey sandwiches.
And then I woke up.
Dreams are weird. I don’t know what inspires them and I don’t know how to interpret them. For me, they’re just sleepy-time entertainment. And honestly, that’s all I really need them to be. Maybe I’m swimming in the shallow end of the pool, but I am not looking for the deeper meaning in any of these. They are what they are. I occasionally dream, and sometimes I remember bits and pieces of said dreams. And for me, that’s good enough.
Have any weird dream or moment in a dream that has stuck with you through the years? Leave it in the comments.
It’s been awhile since I did an audio commentary track…going all the way back to Episode 16 (October 2014, for what it’s worth) when I was joined by guests Joe Dodd and Justin Holman to provide a commentary track for Justice League War. By the way…you have asked and I have heard and I do hope to get some of these guys together for Throne of Atlantis and more DC Animated movies.
But we’re switching side and getting to the beginning of Marvel’s cinematic universe, the one that started it all, 2008’s Iron Man. And I’m joined by my friend and past guest RJ Gallucci for a commentary track. Grab the movie, queue it up, and hit play when we tell you. It’s all the conversation you’d punch people for if they were in the theater with you. But it also has with it the knowledge of nine years of cinematic universe that we didn’t know about back in 2008.
Want more episodes like this? Leave a comment telling me what movie you want us to tackle. We plan on hitting the entire MCU and in the order they were released.
But what movies outside of the MCU are of interest to you? Let me know.
Well, it’s March 1, 2017, and in the Christian faiths, it is Ash Wednesday, forty days before Easter. In the Roman Catholic faith, it is a day to fast and abstain from meat (as we will abstain from meat every Friday between now and Easter Sunday.
The common thread around Lent is for Catholics to “give something up,” to sacrifice something for the season. Now when you’re a kid, it could be something like giving up candy, or cookies, or ice cream. As an adult, I’ve given up McDonald’s, soda, beer (that was tough), and ice cream (because I love ice cream).
This isn’t a religious post or anything, but I’m just setting the stage for all of it to make sense.
This year, I’m working on curbing my swearing. I have a 14-month-old son who’s getting really good at mimicking our words and sounds. Naturally he is saying “mama,” “dada,” “yeah,” “hi,” “milk,” and once, I think I heard him say “boob.” So…I have to watch my mouth, because I don’t want to get THAT call from daycare. So I created this…
And it already has $2.25 in it, with another quarter due to it. And those are just the ones I caught as I police myself on this. After Easter, I’ll take the money I raised with my potty mouth and donate it to our church.
Okay, that’s part of it.
Another thing I’m trying to do this year is maintain some discipline on the content front. So I’m hoping/planning 40 days of new content, which will be written and spoken. So you’ll get the podcasts on the weekly (hoping to get a new episode recorded this weekend, actually).
So…back to this post, and the title. I finally saw Doctor Strange last week, and while I hope to sit down at length and talk about it in an upcoming episode, this will have to suffice for now.
First of all – Doctor Strange in the MCU first appeared on my radar in Captain America: Winter Soldier, when he was named among other more anonymous threats to Hydra. The placing of that makes it seem that the Doctor Strange movie would take place before the events of Winter Soldier, which would indicate that Strange was still largely unknown (albeit active) during Captain America: Civil War (and also Avengers 2: Age of Ultron.
Here’s what I really enjoyed about this movie – it took things to a mystical place, a place you can’t explain with science. In a universe of Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, and Falcon, it was a pleasant departure. I will say that Thor touched on some similar themes, including his famous line to Jane Porter:
But as beautiful as Asgard was in Thor and Thor 2, there was something visually stunning about Doctor Strange. The Inception-inspired cityscape bending was not only done with seamless SFX, but the story was told in a way that made sense. If you think about it, the sorcerers live in the world that has yet to realize they exist. Sleight of hand, misdirection, illusion. It’s what magic is. So it’s completely natural to think that most of the regular world wouldn’t be aware of its existence. So the mirror dimension helps the filmmakers tell the story, manipulate “the world” in a way that doesn’t actually affect the real world.
It was great to see the astral plane. It was amazing to see Doctor Strange in the Dark Dimension, and his use of the Eye of Agamotto (*cough*TIME GEM*cough*) had me rolling. Take THAT, Dormammu.
I thought the cast was brilliant, from Benedict Cumberbatch to Rachel McAdams, the sublime Tilda Swinton, the brilliant-in-everything Mads Mikkelsen, and the incomparable Chiwetel Ejiofor and everyone I didn’t mention…the talent they brought in for this movie just continues to show what Marvel is capable of.
Long story short (since it’s late), if you haven’t seen Doctor Strange, you shouldn’t wait any longer. It’s available in the digital format and as of yesterday, is available on bluray and dvd as well. Don’t wait any longer. After all, time is no longer on your side.
And in this episode, I have a litany of reasons why I’ve been slacking, from reading comics to watching comic book-related entertainment materials, to bringing you more award-ignored podcasts.
So here’s what I’ve missed:
Luke Cage
https://youtu.be/snJ-nRgx8o0
“Sweet Christmas!” Am I right?
X-Men Apocalypse
Justice League: The New Frontier
You may remember me writing about this a few months back (back when I wrote blogs). Well, it’s topical again!
This is what I call a truck episode. Meaning I was in my truck on the way to work when I recorded it.
And like I said in the show, I am excited for my upcoming guests. It’s all about scheduling and such now. But we’ll see how it goes.
For years we heard “give Spider-Man back to Marvel.” Let’s face the facts...we hear the same for Fantastic Four, especially after last summer’s gamble that did not pay out. But as respected as comics’ first family is, Spidey is the most recognizable (or at least profitable) superhero in the world.Captain America: Civil War is where Spider-Man will make his Marvel movie debut after five Sony pictures that have been met with mixed reactions.
And we all know you can’t have Civil War without Peter Parker.
Here’s the thing – there’s no way they’ll be telling this portion of the story in Captain America III. It has nothing to do with Spider-Man being an established in the Marvel Universe. It revolves primarily around the story Marvel wants to tell in Civil War.
The trailer (shown below) opens with Steve Rogers speaking over some images of the Winter Soldier. Cap is talking about the hazards of the job. Then you see news footage or damage assessment from the events of The Avengers, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and Avengers 2. The events lead the bureaucrat to exclaim that “People are afraid.”
Enter Tony Stark, who as he does in the comic book, is a champion for regulation and oversight. “We need to be put in check.”
So there you have it…#TeamCap vs #TeamIronMan.
Now we don’t know how Spider-Man enters into the movie, exactly. We know how he enters this scene:
But is there a scene before this where Tony Stark goes and recruits Peter Parker to the cause? I imagine there would have to be. Or as Ricky Ricardo would say “Lucy, you got some ‘splaining to do.” They’d be retconning the crap out of that. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certain the characters in the MCU are aware of Spider-Man. They might wonder where he was during “the event” in New York City a few years prior. But you catch my drift.
I get the feeling based on what little we’ve seen that perhaps Spider-Man is a “diamond in the rough” type of discovery by Tony Stark. That’s a stark (pun intended) contrast to the comic, where of course Spider-Man was a long-time character whom everyone knew. In the events leading up to Civil War, and in the story itself, Peter Parker/Spider-Man works for Tony Stark/Iron Man. Stark rewards Peter with the Iron Spider suit.
Not even close.
I always perceived that Peter Parker as sort of a pawn in Stark’s agenda. Cooperate and you get to keep the shiny toy.
Something always struck me odd about that pairing. I always felt that Peter was no longer an autonomous hero who does things his way, but someone who had to answer to a higher authority. In short, a microcosm for the entire Civil War story-line. The role of the government and the registration act is played by Tony Stark. The hero community is being portrayed by our favorite wall crawler. When they out themselves, adhere to the law, bad things happen.
In other words, Captain America was right.
Okay, back to Spidey, because I’ve been working on this post off and on since about 11am, and I really just need to wrap it up.
We were told Spider-Man would have a “classic look.” This Spidey suit has Steve Ditko written all over it.
Re-watch the trailer and you’ll see Spidey can be expressive with his eyes again. It’s not just head and neck movements and hand gestures. The eye black gets thicker and thinner as necessary. It’s the same technology that they used with Deadpool’s mask. Totally not worried. Also, that’s a small black spider on the front and a large red spider on the back, much like the one drawn above.
So yes, Spider-Man has arrived in the MCU. But that’s not all we got in the new trailer. We also saw a bulletproof Black Panther, Winter Soldier appear to be locked away deep in the heart of a frozen bunker (which is odd, since the last time we saw him he was pinned to a table with Cap and Falcon), and we saw this this, which I’m officially labeling the Marvel Azkaban.
I know what it is. It’s a prison for super beings. But what I don’t know is a) who funded it and 2) when it was built. Seems like a pretty massive undertaking since the end of Age of Ultron…a year ago.
But I digress.
Here’s the trailer. This movie looks great, and it will have the longest run time of any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. So maybe people will stop complaining that Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice will be too long at 2.5 hours.
What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments section here or on Facebook. Also Twitter, email, smoke signals, or text messages (if you have the Nerds United hotline number).
Welcome to a brand new episode of Nerds United. In Episode 59, I’m talking with Irish filmmaker and writer James Mulholland.
James’ path to comic book writing is unconventional. Despite writing his whole life, it was just a recent introduction to comics and their characters through the films of Hollywood that sparked an interest in comic books.
Hear James’ story from his “small town” (only 40,000 people, making my town of 7,500 a “village” or worse) to film school. Learn about some common themes in his writing, and the very personal stories from which they are derived.
Be sure to Like James on Facebook and check out his work on Comic Fury. (Definitely check out “Minority.” Great art with a gripping story that I’ve only just begun.)
And if you’re in the social media mood, follow James on Twitter.
Might as well Follow me on Twitter as well. Yes…I tweet.
I also Periscope on occasion, but I’m pretty bad at that. I’ll share that when I have more confidence.
This was a thought I had over the extended Thanksgiving weekend.
Two “classic” sci-fi movies that have yet to be touched by modern day Hollywood. The Last Starfighter and Flight of the Navigator. I use quotes around the word classic because I think they are only “classic” in the sense that they were made in the mid-1980s. In fact, until I mentioned them, did you even remember their names?
Let me ask another question – were you even aware of their existence?
How about some movie poster art? You know…to jog the memory…
A quick synopsis of both movies for the uninitiated (taken from memory, not from IMDb – so you know it’s shaky at best):
The Last Starfighter is about a trailer park maintenance man (Alex) who spends his evenings ignoring his girlfriend in hopes of achieving high score on an arcade game – Starfighter. When he finally achieves the highest of the high scores, he is visited by an alien that looks like The Music Man (He’s a what? He’s a what? He’s an a-li-en). Centauri recruits Alex to join the intergalactic war raging between the Starfighters and the bad guys (I looked this one up – it’s the Ko-Dan Armada). The base is destroyed, leaving Alex and an alien named Grig, who serves as navigator and mentor. Hence, Alex is THE LAST STARFIGHTER.
Meanwhile, while Alex is in space, fake robot Alex is on Earth in his place. But fake robot Alex is a poor man’s Alex. He almost ruins things with Maggie the girlfriend. However, fake robot Alex does take a bullet, an assassination attempt.
Long story short – Alex succeeds in fending off the Armada, returning home safely to a confused Maggie and family. They leave to return to the Starfighter Corps (why not) and the galaxy is saved.
Flight of the Navigator starts in 1978. I don’t remember every detail, but here we go nonetheless. David is playing with his little brother. David falls down a hillside and hits his head. Here’s where it gets fuzzy. I almost think that David wakes up in 1986, and while the world around him has aged and progressed, he is still a kid. And his younger brother is, essentially, now older than he is. He is taken to some government (NASA, I believe) facility, because there was some connection to a spaceship.
Like I said, some parts are fuzzy.
David gets some help from future Hollywood A-lister (in her best performance ever) Sarah Jessica Parker and escapes captivity in the spaceship version of Evil T-1000.
He and the ship (we’ll call it Mack, because that’s its name – and also voiced by Pee Wee Herman) escape authorities and travel back in time to when he fell down the hill and disappeared. Either that, or David wakes up only to realize he had the weirdest #*$@%& dream of all time.
Here’s where I’m at with these two movies. Flight of the Navigator is a Disney movie, and therefore COULD be remade. Let’s just all admit that we’re marks for what Disney is doing and move on. The animated stuff is solid (both standalone Disney Animation and the coop with Pixar). And maybe you were unaware that Disney owns Marvel and Star Wars. T+So they have that going for them. Disney is doing well. They don’t need to try to resurrect largely-forgotten titles from thirty years ago.
That’s why I say that The Last Starfighter should be remade. It has a decent story (I didn’t really do it justice). Plus, and I think this is the biggest reason – those special effects.
I mean, there’s charming and then there’s painful. Give a modern director, and more importantly a modern visual effects team, an opportunity to tell the tale with the cutting edge technology they have at their fingertips.
Hollywood has remade a slew of movies that didn’t need to be remade (looking at you, glaringly, Red Dawn). Let them have some fun with a flick that deserves a remake.
#REMAKESTARFIGHTER
If you want to submit a topic for my next #ToughCallTuesday, just leave it in the comments or email nerdsunitedpodcast@gmail.com.
And remember that the Comics for Beginners II episode is being recorded in January. Submit your questions (same as above) and win a prize! Seriously. It’s that simple!
I admit as I write this that I don’t know which direction this post will take. But it’s Tuesday, and I’ll be dipped if I don’t bring you a new Tough Call post.
The problem is that even now, I don’t think this one is a tough call at all.
I did something this past weekend that I can’t remember doing in recent memory. I intentionally skipped a televised game of my favorite college football team. Now, I’ve missed games in the past. And I’ve recorded them and watched them later. And I did that as well this past Saturday.
The difference between this game and all of those previously is that it was completely my choice how I spent my Saturday afternoon. At other times, I had commitments that I had agreed to before I knew of the starting time. This time, I was asked to go golfing – with my dad. And I readily and enthusiastically agreed.
Here’s the thing. My dad isn’t old. I anticipate (as well as hope and pray) that I get another thirty or so years with him. I hope he gets to see his grandchildren for many years, and if fate is kind, his grandchildren’s children.
So why does nine holes of golf seem so important?
Long story short? I didn’t spend as much time with him as I could or should have growing up. Am I playing catch-up, or trying to make up for lost time? Probably.
I’m not going to say I was a perfect kid. I wasn’t. I was a smart ass. Some days, I was a dumb ass. And I was lazy. I would rather sit on the couch and watch movies or play video games than pretty much anything. I could have learned so much, but I was too busy doing nothing at all.
So when my dad asked if I wanted to go golfing, there was only one answer for me. Nothing beat nine holes with him, drinking a few beers, smoking a cigar, talking about the current events in sports, family, etc. It was something I never knew I was missing until I took advantage of the opportunity to be a participant. It’s not that we didn’t have anything in common, it’s that I didn’t really know how to talk to him when I was younger, a teen. He was always the authoritative figure. Having grown, I am now able to see him on more equal terms (not completely, the man is still my hero and everything I aspire to be in a father).
As the day draws closer to my being a father, well, I don’t think I have a better role model than my own dad. He let me make my own choices as far as hobbies and interests. He was my coach as well as my dad. And I got to play catch with him, shoot hoops, etc.
I don’t write any of this to brag. I know not everyone had similar experiences. Rather, I write this as a reminder to myself to be that same kind of father to my children.
I will let my child(ren) choose between Marvel and DC, between Star Wars and Star Trek. Even let them choose their own favorite Doctor. But I hope they learn from the mistakes I made as a youngster.
I hope they choose to spend some time with their old man.
So this week’s #ToughCallTuesday isn’t tough at all.
I’ll always choose family. I’ll always put my kids first. They won’t always get everything they want. But they will never be in need. And “like my father before me,” they’ll get a dad who comes home from work and says “let’s play catch” or “let’s read a book.”
This post is not to choose between Doctors Who. Rather (and probably easier), this week’s post is about Doctor Strange versus Doctor Fate.
Doctor Steven Strange, one-time renowned neurosurgeon, now the Supreme Sorcerer. He serves as Earth’s protector against threats both magical and mystical. Created in 1963 by legendary artist Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange was a member of the Avengers, the Order, the Defenders, and the Midnight Sons. He was trained in the mystical arts by the Ancient One, and harnessesing the powers of numerous artifacts, most recognizably being the Eye of Agamotto, the Cloak of Levitation, and the Book of Vishanti. Doctor Strange has been called the most powerful “humanoid” by the Marvel Universe. Literally. “Eternity,” the sentience of the Marvel Universe said so.
Strange’s powers include, but are not limited to energy projection and manipulation, matter transformation, animation of inanimate objects, teleportation, illusion-casting, mesmerism, thought projection (DEEP BREATH), astral projection, dimensional travel, time travel and mental possession.
Doctor Strange has appeared in several cartoons and video games, like the 1990’s Spider-Man and X-Men cartoons. He was in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game. He had a straight to video animated movie made about him. There was a movie in 1978…
And, of course, we will see Benedict Cumberbatch star in a Marvel Studios production of Doctor Strange in November 2016. They are set to begin production next month.
Doctor Fate has been around longer. Created in 1940 by Gardner Fox, Doctor Fate would eventually join several other Fox creations in the Justice Society of America. Fox also created or co-created the Jay Garrick Flash, Hawkman, Starman, and Sandman (Wesley Dodds). Fate draws his power from the Amulet of Anubis, the Cloak of Destiny, and the Helm of Fate, naturally.
Many have claimed the name of Doctor Fate since 1940. The powers of Doctor Fate lie primarily in the Helm of Nabu, which contains the soul of the Lord of Order, bonding it to the wearer and taking over the body. The benefit of powers being relatively transitive is that as stories, times, or characters change, others can take up the mantle. Long before there was a female Thor, there was a female Doctor Fate. There have been other diverse characters to don the Helmet of Fate, including Khalid Ben-Hassin and Khalid Nassour.
Fate’s powers include spellcasting,flight,super-strength, invulnerability, telekinesis, telepathy, fire manipulation and lightning manipulation. A downside to Doctor Fate’s abilities are that he is unable to counteract a spell against him once it has been cast.
Doctor Fate has also been seen on television, in animation, and video games. He is a playable character in DC Universe Online and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. And he makes a cameo in Injustice: Gods Among Us. There were a few episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited that required the talents of Nabu. Doctor Fate was also on the Young Justice series, as well as a two-part episode of Smallville, titled “Absolute Justice.”
There was even a glimpse at the Helmet of Fate in the pilot episode of NBC’s short-lived Constantine series.
This is certainly another Tough Call. But I think there are a few points that tilt the decision towards our winner this week, which is:
Doctor Strange is one man who was trained to protect the Earth and beyond. He was not merely bestowed with magical artifacts. He conditioned himself into a living weapon, the Supreme Sorcerer. From his home at 177A Bleecker St in Greenwich Village (the Sanctum Sanctorum), Strange continues to use his gifts to defend the world from unbelievable, if not outright impossible, evils.
Of course, maybe the greatest of the all is Doctor StrangeFate…
But that’s a story for another day.
**I apologize for the delay in not getting this published yesterday. As always, if you agree or disagree, sound off in the comments. And if there’s a tough call you want me to tackle, let me know in the comments as well.
Well I did it. I went and saw the new Fantastic Four movie.
Directory Josh Trank (Chronicles) did the movie no favors on Thursday when he tweeted, and later deleted, the following (caught via screen grab for your benefit):
The appropriate response to this can only be:
Why would you distance yourself from the movie unless you want to come off as a bitter, petulant child? It’s sour grapes, in my opinion. But maybe that’s how Hollyweird works…try to wash the hands of a negatively-perceived project in hopes of saving face. I just don’t know.
Furthermore, from Trank’s own mouth in a recent episode of Kevin Smith’s Fatman on Batman, he said he didn’t follow all of the hype around Chronicle as it neared its release. He even had to be told that his movie was Number 1 at the box office.
Now Chronicle and Fantastic Four are two very different beasts. One is an original title. It’s exactly the same in the comic book world. If Trank had written (with Max Landis, btw) Chronicle for Image Comics or IDW, Dark Horse, etc, it falls under the Creator Controlled parameters, and he can do with it as he pleased.
But Fantastic Four is not Chronicle. Fantastic Four is a Marvel-owned entity whose cinematic rights belong to 20th Century Fox. And while a script was submitted and either approved or altered, that script has to meet the overall vision of the studio, much like a comic book has to stay within the guidelines of the publisher’s direction.
I say all of that because there were reports out Friday that indicated Fox made one or several moves, ranging from pre-production cuts of three tent-pole action sequences to keeping Trank away from post-production as the film’s third act was being edited.
So were Trank’s accusations accurate? Possibly. Was this a PR nightmare for a film already struggling to gain ground in a saturated comic book movie world, after two lackluster (not blockbuster) movies set around the same characters? Absolutely.
And here’s the biggest problem – the movie isn’t horrible. Confidence-inspiring, aren’t I? Look, I know it has a lower Rotten Tomatoes score than Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. But this is how I would describe most of the Rotten Tomatoes users, if Bat-ffleck didn’t already beat me to it (around the 20-second mark):
Yeah – I went there. Look – if you’re going to rely on someone from the internet to tell you what to think about movies, you probably don’t listen to my show. I don’t think you’ll ever find me telling you NOT to go watch or read something (well, if you can avoid Twilight…I still recommend doing that).
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW – READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**
I thought the movie was well-cast. I thought there was some good chemistry there. And my only concern with the timeline of the movie was that Sue Storm didn’t really know Ben Grimm much at all before the transformation. Victor von Doom was still an angry genius, not a blogger. The Storm family made sense, and you got a bit of feeling of Johnny’s unwillingness to participate. He felt that because he wasn’t a science nerd like Sue, that he didn’t have as much attention as his adoptive sister. So, like many teenagers, he acted out.
I admit I was not put off by the ages of the main characters…the “youth movement” per se. Reed Richards and Ben Grimm being friends since the third grade made plenty of sense. I do wish that there was something for Jamie Bell’s Ben Grimm to do at the Baxter Institute, as I felt maybe his presence in the building of the device may have created some bond between him and Kate Mara’s Sue Storm.
Much like the first Fantastic Four movie in 2005, they can’t complete the project without Doom. But the aspects of the movie and the transformation of the characters are a direct result of Toby Kebbell’s character’s hubris and the curious nature of exploration.
It is the third act that has largely been targeted as a reason for the movie’s negative reviews. I don’t know what changes were made from Trank’s “fantastic version.” I will say that the third act and the climactic battle did seem a bit rushed. It’s odd, as the film is only 100 minutes, and many superhero movies are going two hours and beyond. I felt like there could have been a bit more in that third act. But I digress.
Now – was the movie perfect? No. Was it great? No. Was it better than most of the reviews you’ll see? I think so. Am I an eternal optimist always looking at the sunniest side? Not usually. But I think that this movie has had an uphill battle since it was announced, so I’m not surprised that the reviews coming back have been negative.
If you can save a few bucks by taking in a matinee showing, I say that’s the way to go. And don’t forget that I have a Fantastic Four movie contest going on. If you go to the show, post a picture of your ticket or ticket stubs or e-ticket to the Nerds United Facebook Page and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of two prizes. First Prize is an autographed copy of the first volume of Saga. Second place is the first four “issues” of Magicians Must Die autographed by my friend, artist, and Episode 37 guest Jay Peteranetz.
Call them consolation prizes if you want – a little something for sitting through Fantastic Four. But if you have spent time reading all of the other FF reviews, I hope you made it through this one. Thanks for reading. Comment below or on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Pod Directory. And I’ll see you next time in the Nerd Dome.
Marvel’s Ant-Man opening night. My friend Mike (go back to Episode 9 for a refresher) and I went to check out Marvel Studio’s latest big screen adventure featuring its smallest hero. And then we decided to talk about it afterwards. That conversation was going so great, I halted it mid-thought and said “let’s record this for the podcast.”
So here we are, talking about Ant-Man and more nerdy topics at 11pm on a Friday night while I’m driving through Southern Illinois. Tons of laughs and just a great conversation with a longtime friend about nerdy stuff.
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have announced the new Spider-Man, as well as the director and even confirmed the release date for the stand-alone Spider-Man movie.
Mark your calendars, as July 28, 2017 has just been selected for the release of the third Spider-Man franchise kickstarter.
2017 currently has seven movies set for theaters based on Marvel or DC characters. That could actually increase before it’s all said and done. Just remember how quickly the ball got rolling on a Deadpool movie.
Spider-Man will be released after The Wolverine 3, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Wonder Woman, and Fantastic Four. After a few months to cleanse the palates, November has in store for movie goers Thor: Ragnarok and The Justice League.
I’m exhausted (and already a little broke) just typing all of that out. And that follows a 2016 that already has seven more movies based on the Big Two scheduled for mass consumption.
Okay, I got off on a little tangent there. Sorry about that.
Back to the new Peter Parker.
Tom Holland is a relative unknown, at least to me. In fact, a quick view of his IMDb page indicates he has just ten credited roles, one being the announced Spider-Man gig. I think that’s good. I like the idea of bringing in an unknown, because you already have so many stars/heavy hitters in the MCU.
Now I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that Sony + Marvel made the announcement days after videos like this hit the internet, but I’m sure showing off the skills didn’t hurt Holland.
It is unknown at this time whether or not Holland/Spider-Man will have a role in Captain America: Civil War. I would love for Spidey to make an appearance in the movie, because he is a pivotal character in the comics. However, if it makes the story too convoluted to include him, I say withhold him at this time. If there is no logical way to include him – if you can’t add him in without making it flow seamlessly and make sense, then I say “don’t add him.”
They are already shooting Civil War. Unless they had Spider-Man in the script and saved his scenes for last, don’t force him into the story, rushing production and compromising the picture.
I for one am looking forward to the return to Marvel of one of its biggest stars. And with Spider-Man topping the list of most profitable superheroes, this will hopefully launch the web crawler into the stratosphere as far as movies go.
I liked the original Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie. Then the Sam Raimi-led franchise started to tumble down the hill PDQ. By the end of Spider-Man 3, they were like the Jamaican bobsled team, zooming down the ice chute at blazing speeds and then wrecking in grand fashion.
Again, I enjoyed the Andrew Garfield/Emma Stone Amazing Spider-Man. It had the things that I wanted to see, like one bad guy. It stayed true to the comics with the [SPOILER ALERT] death of Captain Stacy. It also had a Peter Parker who stayed long and lanky, and didn’t become a guy who looked like he spent some time at the gym.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 brought me one of the saddest movie moments in recent memory: the death of Gwen Stacy TNA-style over-booking. Rhino at the beginning. Electro and Green Goblin in much of the middle, with Rhino inexplicably returning towards the end. And yes, I popped when you saw the Oscorp stash of Sinister Six enhancements.
But one of the traps to which Hollywood can sometimes fall victim is over-stimulation. Give me a good story with one solid villain instead of a shoddy story with multiple antagonists.
Wow…another tangent.
I wish Tom Holland good luck as he dons the familiar red and blue Spider-Man costume. Unfortunately, the success or failure of the new Spidey franchise will undoubtedly be placed on his shoulders, much like Garfield took heat for Amazing Spider-Man 2.
But let’s face it – I’m going to go see all of these movies anyway. I can’t seem to stop myself.
Also, Marvel and Sony announced that Jon Watts will be directing the 2017 Spider-Man movie.
And let me just say…IF Spider-Man (or Peter Parker, for that matter) does appear in Civil War, I’d really like to find that out when I see it in theaters.
My guest for Episode 44 is a musical legend and a member of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. And while we talk a little hip hop, my chat with Darryl McDaniels focuses more on comics, as he is both a lifelong fan and a creator.
Growing up in New York (Hollis, Queens – but you knew that already), Darryl lived in the same city as Spider-Man and so many other icons of the comic book pages. It all played a part in a boy’s early love of comics that he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
In 2014, DMC (Darryl Makes Comics) published DMC #1 and debuted it at New York Comic Con.
In Episode 44, learn about how the comics inspired the man…and how the man inspires the comic. It’s win-win!
Enjoy Episode 44 and leave some feedback. Also – check out some previous episodes if this is your first time through. Find it on iTunes as well as Stitcher just by searching “Nerds United.” Like the show on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
And since D (yeah…we’re on a first initial basis) is a Marvel guy – let me drop a link to a book I think he would like – one that is in my own collection:
Say hello to Cullen Bunn, writer extraordinaire. His career – his resume – is filled with titles from both Marvel and DC as well as creator-owned. Magneto, Sinestro, Deadpool – and a slew of successful creator-owned entities like The Sixth Gun, Harrow County, and the new series Hellbreak (Issue #2 available today). In this episode, we listen to the Hellbreak Panel from the Tenth Annual Cape Comic Con that was held April 17-19 in Cape Girardeau, MO. The panel is hosted by Steve Higgins with a few questions coming from the audience. Lots of insight into the differences between writing for one of the “big two” and writing your own characters. And you learn how busy a top writer can be. So kick back, relax, and check out Hellbreak #1 and #2 at your local comic book shop. A great time to do that would be on Free Comic Book Day!
Meet Jay Peteranetz, a lifelong comic book reader (mostly Marvel) and artist who has helped take comics to an unprecedented medium – playing cards.
Welcome to Magicians Must Die:
Jay grew up reading a ton of Marvel, including X-Men and the Cosmic Marvel books, including Guardians of the Galaxy. So naturally we talk about the marvel Cinematic Universe and OMG DID YOU SEE ADAM WARLOCK?
There is a lot covered in this episode, and I’m pumped for future conversations with Jay, who will be appearing at the Denver Comic Con in May. So go check him out there.
ALSO – if we get Jay to 250 Twitter followers in the next two weeks, he’ll hook me up with all four issues (sets) of MMD, autographed, and ready to giveaway on the show. He wins, we win. GET IT?!?
As promised, a THIRD episode in February. I’ll get back to guests next month, but right now, I’m discussing/rambling about the link I shared recently. I actually have a great appreciation for the reasoning behind that post, but hey, they’re fictional characters. And believe me, I’m not out to look like Superman. I’ll just be happy not looking like the Blob.
MOVING ON…
Marvel’s Agent Carter wrapped up its mid-season run and, dare I say, I want more of it and less of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And want to save Constantine so we get a second season? I want you to. Join me.
I also discuss Gotham and the Flash and how though they are similar, they are very different.
More episodes to come in March, and we’re less than two months away from the 10th Annual Cape Con.
Welcome back into the Nerd Dome for Episode 29 of Nerds United.
This time we cross international borders and visit with Sam Johnson, a comic book creator who hails from Sheffield, United Kingdom. Sam has been writing comics for almost a decade and is working on building his brand, Actuality Press.
Sam is a huge Marvel fan, so it’s no surprise that his “The Almighties” title is a parody, in part, of The Avengers. Rated T for Teen, this book has some adult themes and humor. It’s a really fun read. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Hello again fellow Nerds and welcome to the latest from Nerds United. This time around, I’m talking all about Gotham and MARVEL Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And since I actually took some time to read over the weekend, I do my best to give you a spoiler-free rundown on MARVEL’s Original Sin.
And since I’m a bad cross-promoter (and was needing to wrap up the recording and go to work), I forgot to plug the newest show on the Jittery Monkey Network. So please head over to PoppedCulture and give them some love.
Episode 12 and I sit down with another longtime friend of mine, artist Joe Dodd. Joe has worked for Marvel and DC before making a change and focusing more on toys. Catch Joe’s story and find out how you can help him and his family achieve their dreams.
As promised, here’s the link for Joe, Sam, and Odin’s GoFundMe. HERE
Also, Cape Con is a month away (March 21-23) in Cape Girardeau, MO. And I’ll be there on Saturday and Sunday talking with Con goers, vendors, and featured guests (including – but not limited to – Jim Cornette).
We made it to double digits and I sought your input for Episode 10. I opened up the old request lines (that’s the former radio host in me) and took your suggestions on Facebook for superheroes and villains (both Marvel and DC) for either announced movies or future concepts. What actors and actresses did I think should suit up on the big screen? Listen in and head back to Facebook to comment.
Episode 5 and I’m sitting down with a longtime friend of mine, Justin Holman. Justin is an avid 80s cartoon lover of titles such as Transformers, GI Joe, Voltron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more. Basically, if it’s in this picture, Holman is a fan:
Justin the creator has inked for Marvel and recently started sketching again as a fund raiser for Toys for Tots.
Plus, Justin is forever linked to a Marvel film as a song he performed with his band was on the soundtrack for……..