Z-View: “The Wild Bunch”

Posted on by

The Tagline:  “Unchanged men in a changing land. Out of step, out of place and desperately out of time.“

The Overview:   *** Beware –  spoilers are found below ***

The year is 1913.  An aging gang of outlaws is on the run and looking for one last score.  They know their days are numbered.  The west is changing.  The bounty hunters are on their heels.  Will they find the score they need to fade into retirement or will they go out in a blaze of glory, dying as they lived?

*** Even More Spoilers Below ***

The Good

  • The Wild Bunch is a classic.
  • William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Jamie Sanchez, Edmund O’Brien, Strother Martin, LQ Jones, with Bo Hopkins and Dub Taylor [in smaller but important roles] are perfectly cast.
  • This is Sam Peckinpah‘s greatest film.
  • The opening sequence would be the finale in many movies.
  • So many great lines:
    – “If they move, kill ’em!”
    – “We all dream of being a child again, even the worst of us. Perhaps the worst most of all.”
    –  Bishop:     What would you do in his place? He gave his word.”
    Dutch: “He gave his word to a railroad.”
    Bishop: “It’s his word.”
    Dutch: “That ain’t what counts! It’s who you give it *to*!
    – Dutch:  I think the boys are right. I’d like to say a few words for the dear, dead departed. And maybe a few hymns’d be in order. Followed by a church supper. With a choir!”
    –  Bishop: “We’ve got to start thinking beyond our guns. Those days are closin’ fast.”
    –  Bishop: ” If you two boys don’t like equal shares, why in the hell don’t you just take *all* of it?”
  • The perfect mix of humor, action and suspense.
  • How Holden and Ryan‘s past have led them to the situations they’re in.
  • The train robbery sequence.
  • The plan to trade guns for money.
  • The interactions between Coffer [Strother Martin] and TC [LQ Jones].  Same for Lyle Gorch [Warren Oates] and Techtor Gorch [Ben Johnson].
  • The tense moments after Bishop kills Mapache.
  • The final gun battle between the Wild Bunch and the Mexican Army.
  • The final scene with Robert Ryan.

The Bad:

  • Coffer and TC.  Crazy Lee.  Mapache.  The Wild Bunch.  Almost everyone.
  • Robert Ryan’s situation.
  • Getting washers instead of gold.
  • When you can’t see to ride.
  • Shooting your ex-lover while she is in Mapache’s arms.

The Ugly:

  • Being forced to hunt a former partner and being teamed with idiots.
  • Seeing your way of life is getting away from you.

 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Z-View: The Saviors #4

Posted on by

 

The Saviors is an on-going series created by James Robinson & J. Bone published by Image.

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: J. Bone

Cover: J. Bone

 

After last issue’s mayhem and slaughter, Tomas is alone, hunted by alien invaders in a strange town where the Day of the Dead celebration does little to help things.  And when Tomas manages to trap an alien to learn its secrets, is he unwittingly setting up his own death too?

 

 

The Good

  • The conversation between Tomas and a trapped [but slowly freeing itself] alien.
  • J. Bone’s art continues to be a joy.
  • Showing how Tomas survived the blast last issue.
  • Alien: “If I were you I’d stop being curious, and I’d stop being calm… and I’d run.”
       Tomas: “Why are you telling me that? That’s almost like you’re helping me.”
       Alien: “Not at all, I simply love the hunt.”
  • The last page sets up the next issue and makes me want it now!

The Bad:

  • Tomas alone in a foreign country with an alien hunting him.

The Ugly:

  • Nothing about the story or art.  That is for sure.

Saviors #4  is a comic for mature audiences due to violence.  If you’re a fan of 1950’s movies like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and the 1960’s tv series “The Invaders”  then Saviors #3 is for you.  

Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Z-View: The White Suits #3 by Barbiere & Cypress

Posted on by


The White Suits is a four issue mini-series created by Frank Barbiere & Toby Cypress published by Dark Horse Comics.

Writer: Frank Barbiere

Artist / Colorist: Toby Cypress

Mob war erupts in Chinatown! In a desperate final gambit, New York’s criminal underworld and their Russian mercenaries draw the murderous White Suits into a deadly ambush, with ex-Suit Prizrak and FBI agent Sarah Anderson as hostages. With no way out but death, who will survive the “Kill Box”?

*** Beware – minor spoilers are found below ***

The Good

  • Frank Barbiere’s story requires you to think and Toby Cypress’ art makes you pay attention.
  • “I’m the missing piece.  I’m one of them.”
  • “This is the end… probably what I deserve.”
  • Nice twist with the hulking Russian merc.
  • I really liked the 4 panel storytelling that begins with “My name is Petra…”

The Bad:

  • Cypress’ art is loose… and won’t be to everyone’s taste.
  • Some folks may be put off by the violence in this issue… of course if they’ve read the other issues that shouldn’t be an, uh, issue.

The Ugly:

  • A lot of the people after being caught in explosions and machine gun cross fire.

The White Suits is not for all audiences since it contains adult language and violence.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5

 

 

Z-View: Undertow #3 by Orlando & Trakhanov

Posted on by

Undertow is an on-going series created by Steve Orlando & Artyom Trakhanov published by Image.

Writer: Steve Orlando

Artist: Artyom Trakhanov

Cover Artist Shown: Artyom Trakhanov

Surrounded by bloodthirsty humans, boiling in their landsuits as the sun rises, Redum Anshargal and Ukinnu Alal’s team comes face to face with a primordial god. He’s never killed a god before, but that doesn’t mean Anshargal isn’t up for trying. The dry frontier takes another life as the pulp monster adventure continues!

*** Beware – minor spoilers are found below ***

The Good

  • Trakhanov‘s double-page splash.
  • The introduction of The Amphibian.  “This is how you kill someone!”
  • “I drown spies in the warm desert sun!”
  • Bonus pinup by Luke Parker and back cover by [I think] Matthew Reynolds.

The Bad:

  • What the Amphibian can easily do to an enemy.

The Ugly:

  • If you thought the Amphibian in battle was gross wait until you see him in camp afterward.

IUndertow #2 isn’t for kids.  Rating: 4 out of 5

King Conan Teaser Poster: Let the Lamentations Begin

Posted on by


I know just the thought of a King Conan  teaser poster starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to excite  a lot of Schwarzenegger and Conan fans [myself included].

Unfortunately the poster isn’t as strong as I had hoped.

I know I’m going to get blasted by fans for saying this, but the poster looks like Conan/Schwarzengger [suffering with rosacea] calmly holding a sword.

I wanted something more.

Let the lamentations of the fans begin.

Z-View: The Mercenary Sea #3

Posted on by


The Mercenary Sea is an on-going series created by Kel Symons & Matthew Reynolds published by Image.

Writer: Kel Symons

Art and Colors: Matthew Reynolds

“BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA” Jack Harper and the crew of the Venture slip into enemy waters to rescue a British spy, code-named “Top Hat.” Only their old adversary, Captain Tono of the Imperial Japanese Navy, spoils the party.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • I like the cover.
  • The colors and sound effects lettering were especially nice this issue.
  • Nice cliffhanger on the last page.

The Bad:

  • In the first two issues I nitpicked about Reynolds‘ blurred backgrounds being used too often.  I didn’t feel they were over-used this issue and now I feel bad about picking those nits.
  • Being in a submarine under attack by depth charges.

The Ugly:

  • What happens after you tell a Japanese interrogator, “I have no bloody idea what you’re talking about…”

I look forward to the next issue of The Mercenary Sea.

Rating:

Z-View: Dead Body Road #5

Posted on by


Dead Body Road is a six issue mini-series published by Image.

Writer: Justin Jordan

Penciler / Inker: Matteo Scalera

Colorist: Moreno Dinisio

Holed up and under siege, Gage and his accomplices may have run out of road…but not bullets. Or heads to put them through.

 

Dead Body Road #5  Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera continue to create a comic that consistently entertains.

The Good

  • Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera.  And when I say, “good” I mean great.
  • Justin Jordan’s message to the readers at the end of each issue.  Excellent feature!

The Bad:

  • Some people are going to be put off by the violence and profanity.
  • When you think you’ve got the drop on someone only to discover – “Surprise” – someone has the drop on you.

The Ugly:

  • Riding your motorcycle into a building with guns blazing only to meet a man with an axe.

Dead Body Road #5  is a comic for mature audiences due to violence and language.  If you’re a fan of crime/revenge stories then this is for you.  

Rating: 5 out of 5

 

Laurent Durieux: 1 of the World’s 200 Best Artists

Posted on by

Laurent Durieux is a...

…Brussels illustrator and graphic artist was only recently discovered in the United States, thanks to a number of high-profile awards and marquee commissions, including a 2013 screenprint of “Jaws”, which caught the eye of the film’s director, Steven Spielberg. The climb from relative obscurity began, though, in 2011, when Durieux  was named one of the world’s 200 Best Illustrators by the influential international advertising magazine Lürzer’s Archive.

Durieux is truly an amazing artist.  I had a really hard time trying to decide which of his pieces to use with this post.