Category: Comics

“Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011) starring Chris Evans & Hugo Weaving / Z-View

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Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Director: Joe Johnston

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely based on Captain America comics created by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones,  Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Kenneth Choi, Martin T. Sherman and Stan Lee.

Tagline:  The first Avenger

The Plot…

World War II rages.  Steve Rogers (Evans) wants to be a soldier and do his part in the war effort.  Although a patriotic young man, Rogers is small, frail, unhealthy and keeps getting turned down.  While attempting again to enlist, Dr. Erskine (Tucci) overhears Rogers’ story.  Erskine is head of a secret program designed to create “super soldiers”.  Steve Rogers would be a perfect candidate.

The process changes Rogers from a frail unhealthy man into a perfect physical specimen.  That combined with Rogers’ ethics and humanity make him worthy of the title Captain America.

Meanwhile in Germany, Johann Schmidt (Weaving) aka The Red Skull is the leader of Hydra, Schmidt is working to create a weapon of mass destruction.  It will be up to Captain America and a small band of soldiers to go behind enemy lines and put an end to the Red Skull’s plans.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Captain America is one of the first comics I ever read as a child.  Seeing Cap and his cast of characters (especially the Red Skull) on screen was this kid’s dream come true.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Walking Dead: Dead City” – Season 1 (2023) starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Lauren Cohan / Z-View

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The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 (2023)

Written by: Eli Jorné (eps. 1-2, 4, 6); Keith Staskiewicz (ep.3); Brenna Kouf (ep. 5)

Directed by: Loren Yaconelli (eps. 1-2); Kevin Dowling (eps. 3-4); Gandja Monteiro (eps. 5-6)

Stars: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Gaius Charles, Mahina Napoleon, Zeljko Ivanek, Logan Kim, Jonathan Higginbotham, Karina Ortiz, Michael Anthony, David Chen and Lisa Emery

Tagline: Keep Your Enemies Close

The Plot…

Maggie’s son, Hershel, has been taken hostage by a sadist known as “The Croat”.  The Croat was an enforcer for Negan, when Negan led The Saviors. So Maggie recruits Negan to go with her to Manhattan to rescue Hershel.  Negan agrees on the condition that Maggie’s group give Ginny, a young orphaned girl, refuge.

Maggie and Negan head to Manhattan unaware that three Marshalls are tracking Negan who is wanted for murder.  Because of their past history, Maggie and Negan’s partnership is uneasy at best.  Add in the complications of the Marshalls, New York City full of zombies, dangerous survivalist groups, plus the sadistic Croat with plans of his own… let the fun begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 clocks in with just six episodes, which is a smart move.  I think all of the Walking Dead spin-offs should come up with a story to tell and get to it,

I wasn’t too sure about the pairing of Negan and Maggie.  Maggie’s hate for Negan should override every reason for her to be around, much less work with him for a common goal.  Then the writer’s came up with a plausible reason… to save her son.  I liked how Negan put his murdering her husband back on Maggie when he asked her “How many husbands have you killed?”  Maggie also got to see how Negan using over-the-top “theatrics” when murdering a person kept a group from attacking them.  Well played, writers.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Laura Cohen are two of the most popular Walking Dead characters.  They have the star power to carry the series.  Zeljko Ivanek plays The Croat with zeal.  Gaius Charles as the Marshall is an interesting character that I believe will be come more important in season two.  Lisa (Ozark) Emery is a welcome addition to the cast. She was mean in Ozark and now she’s mean and creepy.

Bring on Season 2.

The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 (2023) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Batman & Bill” (2017) / Z-View

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Batman & Bill (2017)

Director: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce

Stars: Marc Tyler Nobleman, Bill Finger, Fred Finger, Portia Finger, Thomas Andrae, Jerry Bails, Otto Binder,
Athena Finger, Judy Flam, Stacey C. Friends, Carmine Infantino, Stan Lee, Todd McFarlane, Daniela Nobleman  and Bob Kane.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

For decades one of the biggest “secrets” that insiders knew was that Bob Kane wasn’t the sole creator of Batman. Despite this knowledge, every appearance of The Dark Knight contained the credit “Created by Bob Kane”.  The truth of the matter is Bill Finger was the creator of Batman’s costume, Robin, Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, Commissioner Gordan, the Batcave, Gotham City and more.  Yet Bill Finger received no credit or compensation while Bob Kane got rich and famous.

Batman & Bill is the story of one man’s quest to right this wrong.  Despite overwhelming odds justice finally prevailed.  This is that story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Although the general public didn’t know about Bill Finger, it wasn’t a secret among comic book professionals and many fans. Bob Kane for years claimed he was the sole creator of Batman.  The publishers of Batman and all its spinoffs knew differently.  It wasn’t until after Bill Finger’s death that Kane started to give Finger some credit.  Still, Kane was the only one listed on any Batman comic, movie or merchandise.

When Marc Tyler Nobleman learned of this injustice, he made it his life’s mission to right that wrong.  He had nothing to gain, but like a true superhero wanted justice to be served.  And it finally was.

Batman & Bill (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Batman” Print by Steranko!

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Fans are going to be excited to see and maybe even get their mitts on the new prints Steranko created for conventions he’ll attend this year. The Batman art above is one of those.  I love Steranko’s graphic design.

If you get a chance to meet Steranko, don’t sleep on it.  The man is a natural storyteller.  Plus, how often do you get to meet a legit legend?

SGT. ROCK VS the ARMY OF THE DEAD by Bruce Campbell and Eduardo Risso!

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Bruce Campbell teamed with Eduardo Risso to create SGT. ROCK VS the ARMY OF THE DEAD.  Here’s the lowdown…

Berlin, 1944. The Nazis are besieged on all fronts by the Allied forces. Defeat is inevitable. But Hitler and his team of evil scientists attempt a last-ditch effort that may turn the tide of the war and rewrite history itself: a serum that resurrects their dead soldiers, stronger than they were in life, and sends them back into the battlefield.

Now Sgt. Frank Rock and Easy Company have been dispatched into enemy territory to face off against the strangest, most horrific enemies they’ve ever encountered: Nazi zombies!

Sgt. Rock and Easy Company are behind enemy lines, armed to the teeth, and ready to go up against the strangest-and deadliest-enemies they’ve ever encountered: zombies, and a whole lot of ’em! Strap in, soldiers, it’s you against the world…of the dead!

Horror icon Bruce Campbell and comics legend Eduardo Risso bring you a terror-soaked Sgt. Rock tale like no other!

Collects DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead #1-6.

RICAHRD STARK’S PARKER THE COMPETE COLLECTION by Dawyn Cooke

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Richard Stark’s Parker The Complete Collection by Dawyn Cooke gets my highest rating.  If you’re a fan of great crime fiction, then this is for you!

The groundbreaking and multiple award-winning graphic novels by Darwyn Cooke, collected in their entirety for the first time in one softcover volume.

Collecting the four Parker graphic novels (The Hunter, The Outfit, The Score, and Slayground) as well as two shorts (The Man with the Getaway Face and The Seventh). These stories encompass all Darwyn Cooke’s sequential stories of Parker.