Iron Man 3 Trailer: The Stark Knight Rises? We Shall See…

Posted on March 5, 2013 by geelw

Well, that was pretty cool after all. Darker and adding elements from some of the older comics while tossing in plenty of surprises (and army of Iron Men AND a Hulkbuster at the end? Nice). Of course, under all that sturm und drang it’ll be interesting to see if this third installment can feel as fresh as the first while making sure there’s humor in the right spots AND all that actually fine looking mix of CG and practical effects can get and keep asses dropping into seats for long enough that Marvel is happy-dancing around the room on day one. If that happens, they’ll be bouncing around on Hopptity Hop money sacks within a month’s time, as will anyone who signed up for a percentage of the gross (if that’s even done anymore). I actually like that they took one of the all-time corniest but cool villains (The Mandarin) and actually made him a big menace. Well, the great Gene Colan’s version was always creepy-looking, but that’s the late master at work, I say. Well, May 3 is zipping up soon, so my prediction is a no-brainer that this one will be a big pre-summer smash with legs to keep going worldwide.

Iron Man 3 Commercial: Hopefully, Rust WILL Be Sleeping…*

Posted on February 3, 2013 by geelw

I’d actually almost forgotten about Iron Man 3 because of so many other blockbusters (or are they BLOGbusters?) coming this summer, but here you go. I’m still curious about how some of these comic book flicks work and others stumble all over themselves. The first Iron Man was great fun, the second was OK and Both The Mighty Thor and The Avengers were fun to sit through. On the other hand, Ghost Rider? Bleh and double bleh deluxe with extra cheese and don’t get me started on anything related to Daredevil, The Punisher, Fantastic Four and that last Spider-Man flick. DC, you’re not immune at all, as Green Lantern made me green (and not with envy, either), I felt the previous Superman reboot was weird and unnecessary and I still have scars from that Swamp Thing film (even though it had a corny one-liner that made me laugh really loudly in the theater I saw it at). Well, at least there’s a willingness to experiment until it’s gotten right, but that doesn’t mean there’s an audience always willing to drop full price on a ticket to see those films that don’t quite get it right…

*add 5 XP if you got the Neil Young reference…

Marvel Finally Gets The LEGO Treatment Later This Year

Posted on January 9, 2013 by geelw

TT Games is back at work on another new licensed LEGO game, but this time it’s an all Marvel title set to hit no fewer than seven consoles (PC, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS) by the end of the year. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will be set initially in a stylized Lego New York City before spreading out into other locations familiar to comics fans and according to the press release, “offers an original storyline in which Nick Fury calls upon Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other heroes spanning the Marvel Universe to save Earth from such threats as the vengeance of Loki and the hunger of Galactus, Devourer of the Worlds.”

Right now, that’s the sole image for the game above, but that’s going to change soon enough, folks. Expect this family-friendly superhero fun blast sometime in Fall 2013.

Peter Parker Buys The Farm, But Spider-Man Lives On (Ah, Comics)…

Posted on December 26, 2012 by geelw

As I haven’t read a Spider-Man book in ages but have been around the comics block on and off for decades, I’m not too surprised that Marvel has decided to phase Peter Parker out of the Marvel Universe and replace him (thanks to a mind and body swap) with Doctor Octupus, who will now star in the new Superior Spider-Man comic (“Superior?” What, they couldn’t find better word than that?). Can I get an “Eh, whatever” here? Let’s see now, Superman died, he came back. Same with Supergirl. Batman got his back broken – he got better. Robin died, he was replaced with a new one or something (I forget, as it’s been a while since I read a Batman comic too). The list goes on and on and every time some fans go out of their way to be as unpleasant about these changes as possible. Sometimes, a little dying can be good for a character, but it’s up to the writer to lure you in and surprise you every so often…

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Iron Man 3 Trailer: Next Summer Is Looking Up Already…

Posted on October 25, 2012 by geelw

OK, I’m a little late to the party here in terms of getting this posted (hey, I’m a busy man!), but this actually looks a lot more fun that Iron Man 2 in a few areas. Granted, this is probably the second best franchise going in terms of super-hero flicks for Marvel (The Avengers is going to hold the crown for a while), but it also looks like we’ll be seeing a spin-off or two coming out of this. Given that the film version of the Marvel Universe is expanding exponentially these days (Ant-Man? OK, I’ll bite – it better be good, though) with more titles on the way, there’s the chance that more of these future flicks will be much better than they were a few years back. Or more recently, if you count that last Ghost Rider film (blargh, but it was funny watching Nic Cage eat up the scenery). Well, as long as Disney/Marvel (or is it Marvel/Disney) don’t get too carried away and bring us a Dazzler movie or worse, ROM Spaceknight (eek – showing my age there)…

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins: Capcom Does A Bit Of Heavy Eyelash Batting At Its Fans…

Posted on July 5, 2012 by geelw

Oh, Capcom, you’re such a big tease, flashing those ankles like that from under that floor-length skirt and conveniently dropping linen hankies as you pass by under that new parasol. Of course, the mean boys down the block want the whole Can-Can thing, so I see they’re getting a bit frustrated. The internet is going nuts about this (and more nuts in some places than others, thanks to the usual gang of Capcom detractors that aren’t happy with ANYTHING the company does), but I see this upcoming release as a gateway to more returns of Capcom’s classic arcade battlers remixed for the modern era. Sure, who wouldn’t want a new Darkstalkers, X-Men: Children of the Atom, or Punisher game?

As for me, I’m happy as hell about Origins, but I’m hoping to finally see a fighting game that rolls along sometime in the next few years that features every single character from Capcom’s history pop up in as a playable character. That, or a crazy action/RPG hybrid that packs in as many of those favorites as possible. Eh, it’s a big dream, I know… but games like this make me think even bigger.

The Amazing Spider-Man Game Update: A Little Bruce Campbell Action For You…

Posted on June 23, 2012 by geelw

OK, I may not want to swing around a virtual NYC as Stan ‘The Man” Lee in The Amazing Spider-Man game, but I can’t say anything negative about Bruce Campbell getting into the game, voicing “The Extreme Reporter” (which is an oddball name for a character, but oh well). Now, would I want to swing around in the game as Bruce in the guise of Ash, Brisco County Jr., Elvis from Bubba-Ho-Tep or any other characters he’s played? Nope. I just appreciate the man’s talent and humor along with his large body of work. That and hell, some “bonuses” aren’t all that special if they make no sense, kids…

Hmmm… I’m Not Sure I WANT To Play As Stan Lee In A Spider-Man Game…

Posted on June 21, 2012 by geelw

Yeah, it’s a stupidly cool Amazon pre-order bonus and all and yes, it’s looking like Beenox’ best game to date, but let me start some trouble here by stating historically (for some old school Marvel fans), it’s a bit off-base. I’d imagine any Steve Ditko supporters out there might be a wee bit ticked off at this, but hey, he’s a mystery man himself and there hasn’t been a photo of him published anywhere that I know of in decades. Feh, we’re a dying breed the kids don’t give a hoot in hell about these days anyway, as I’d bet none of them even KNOW who Ditko is.

Then again, given that Marvel and Stan Lee have been boosting Stan as the creator of any and everything successful about the company for decades (overlooking the contributions of too many comic art legends, many of whom are no longer with us) and Lee’s the perfect showman (in that Funky Flashman manner – if you know what I mean), I’m guessing a little bit of re-writing is helping keep those dollars rolling in for both parties. So, as long as you don’t think about it too much (and that’s not too hard in this era of shorter attention spans), it’s all good, right? Um, “Excelsior!” (which should mean, “Hell No!” in this case, but you can’t stop the fan train from rolling onward sometimes)…

The Amazing Spider-Man “Super Preview” Trailer. Big, Loud And What Else Ya Got?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by geelw

I dunno…. maybe I’m just too jaded (and yes, Spider-Man 3 pretty much annoyed the hell out of me), but out of all the summer movies in theaters on the way, this one isn’t making my “gotta see it!” meter dance around at all. Sure, it looks great and expensive and New Yorky as all hell (I’m allowed to say this because I live here), but I think Spidey needs a rest for a bit. Between the awful Broadway musical and all the controversy it caused (sure, it was a “hit” for the tourists, but no Noo Yawkuh I know has seen it) to the new Spidey having too much hair for my tastes, I’m sitting this one out until it hits cable. Also (and this bugged the crap out of me in The Avengers), what’s the deal with all the secret identity exposure in these flicks. Is it in the contract that we NEED to see the actor’s face when it SHOULD be covered up because someone will say “hey, that’s so and so” if that hero guy or gal was on the street not doing the hero thing?

Eh, whatever. ot’ll make a mint, so my opinions are moot at the end of the day. That said, I have the feeling that the game Beenox is working on for Activision might actually be a lot more fun than the film and I’m VERY excited for that (if that’s any consolation to you Spidey fans out there)…

It’s Free Comic Book Day (Part Two). So, Here’s One For You From Rockstar!

Posted on May 5, 2012 by geelw

Hey, it’s still Free Comic Book Day today, which means you can walk into ANY comic shop and walk out with a free comic (or comics, if you’re lucky) and NOT get arrested. That said, Rockstar Games is also getting in on the fun with an assist from Marvel thanks to the first issue of Max Payne 3: After The Fall , which is landing online as a digital read you can check out on your PC, laptop (and probably device if you like squinting at that nicely gritty art) OR PDF download before the game shoots into stores on May 15. Rockstar is also offering a VERY limited edition physical copy of the book to selected Rockstar Games Social Club members, so if you’re not one and want one, sign up at that link above and keep those fingers crossed. That particular offer is ONLY good until June, so get crackin’ if you want to snag a copy!