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It’s been a year in the making, and the controversy has been intense, but finally, Secret Empire #1 is here to take the world by storm. Over on Twitter, Nick Spencer’s summed up his story pretty well:
I watched Rogue One about a bajillion times to capture that vibe- a dark war story, but still with some humor and character chemistry.
— Nick Spencer (@nickspencer) April 26, 2017
He’s right. To extend that analogy, Captain America and Hydra have become the Empire – and they truly have taken over the Marvel Universe. The heroes we know and love? They’re relegated to a resistance movement – rebels by any other name.
In an age where there are far too many comic book events, Secret Empire #1 stands as the masterclass in how to do it right. This first issue sets the scene,...
Click to skip
More From The Web Click to zoom
It’s been a year in the making, and the controversy has been intense, but finally, Secret Empire #1 is here to take the world by storm. Over on Twitter, Nick Spencer’s summed up his story pretty well:
I watched Rogue One about a bajillion times to capture that vibe- a dark war story, but still with some humor and character chemistry.
— Nick Spencer (@nickspencer) April 26, 2017
He’s right. To extend that analogy, Captain America and Hydra have become the Empire – and they truly have taken over the Marvel Universe. The heroes we know and love? They’re relegated to a resistance movement – rebels by any other name.
In an age where there are far too many comic book events, Secret Empire #1 stands as the masterclass in how to do it right. This first issue sets the scene,...
- 5/3/2017
- by Tom Bacon
- We Got This Covered
Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Javier Fernandez and Dan Brown
I’m perpetually locked into trying new books, so sometimes I nearly forget to catch up on those I’ve most recently enjoyed. Lucky for me that the marvelous Magneto has magnetically adhered itself to the top of my pile. It was a fairly light week. For those not keeping score, I can’t recommend this series any more than I already have. What I can do now instead is really spend my time with the titular man (and mutant) hunter and see how he ticks in accordance to Cullen Bunn’s pen.
At the onset of the relaunch (if one would consider this book a relaunch) Bunn’s Magneto sees himself a grey wound in a black and white world of scar tissue. Unhappy at the atrocities that have continually befallen his species, Erik Lehnsherr decides that he...
I’m perpetually locked into trying new books, so sometimes I nearly forget to catch up on those I’ve most recently enjoyed. Lucky for me that the marvelous Magneto has magnetically adhered itself to the top of my pile. It was a fairly light week. For those not keeping score, I can’t recommend this series any more than I already have. What I can do now instead is really spend my time with the titular man (and mutant) hunter and see how he ticks in accordance to Cullen Bunn’s pen.
At the onset of the relaunch (if one would consider this book a relaunch) Bunn’s Magneto sees himself a grey wound in a black and white world of scar tissue. Unhappy at the atrocities that have continually befallen his species, Erik Lehnsherr decides that he...
- 7/11/2014
- by Marc Alan Fishman
- Comicmix.com
A couple of months ago, I wrote an article predicting five comics in DC’s New 52 line that I thought were heading towards cancellation. Just a few weeks later, three of those five books bit the dust. And so now, in my new role as the Grim Reaper of the comic book world I thought I’d give the books of the Marvel Now! line-up my terrifying warning.
The Marvel Now! initiative was launched almost immediately after the end of Marvel’s mega-event Avengers vs. X-Men and succeeded in serving its purpose of boosting Marvel’s sales numbers. It has genuinely been a surprisingly successful move, however not every book can sell healthily. Sadly, there are always a few that are left in the dust, not necessarily due to quality either – more often due to a book lacking a famous character. And so, here are my predictions of the books...
The Marvel Now! initiative was launched almost immediately after the end of Marvel’s mega-event Avengers vs. X-Men and succeeded in serving its purpose of boosting Marvel’s sales numbers. It has genuinely been a surprisingly successful move, however not every book can sell healthily. Sadly, there are always a few that are left in the dust, not necessarily due to quality either – more often due to a book lacking a famous character. And so, here are my predictions of the books...
- 7/23/2013
- by David Craig
- Obsessed with Film
19th June 2013 Jack
Saga Volume 2, trade paperback, Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples, Image Comics
This is the first of two trade paperbacks I splurged on this week, though technically I’ve saved money by choosing to follow Saga in trades rather than monthly books. Saga is the uh, saga of a couple from opposing races in a galactic war who have eloped and made a baby. Word of Marko and Alana’s marriage has gotten out and mightily pissed off the leaders of both sides, who have sent various assassins to deal with what they see as an abominable union. The book is narrated from the future by the couple’s child, Hazel and kicks off with Marko’s parents teleporting themselves into the lives of the refugee family.
Brian K Vaughan is a brilliantly talented writer; Runaways is probably my favourite comic series and Y: The Last Man is similarly superlative stuff.
Saga Volume 2, trade paperback, Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples, Image Comics
This is the first of two trade paperbacks I splurged on this week, though technically I’ve saved money by choosing to follow Saga in trades rather than monthly books. Saga is the uh, saga of a couple from opposing races in a galactic war who have eloped and made a baby. Word of Marko and Alana’s marriage has gotten out and mightily pissed off the leaders of both sides, who have sent various assassins to deal with what they see as an abominable union. The book is narrated from the future by the couple’s child, Hazel and kicks off with Marko’s parents teleporting themselves into the lives of the refugee family.
Brian K Vaughan is a brilliantly talented writer; Runaways is probably my favourite comic series and Y: The Last Man is similarly superlative stuff.
- 6/25/2013
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
Not exactly going out with a whimper, "X-Men: The Last Stand", the closing installment of the commercially and critically successful Marvel movie franchise, still fails to generate the satisfying bang created by the first and, particularly, the second edition.
With creative force Bryan Singer having vacated the X-Men universe for the highly anticipated "Superman Returns", Brett Ratner has taken the reins, and though the picture is not without its wow-inducing, SFX-driven moments, that potent X-factor is considerably diminished in Singer's absence.
Arriving Friday on the heels of tonight's splashy Cannes premiere, the film should still enjoy an X-cellent opening weekend, but less assured is its ability to scale the $214.8 million-grossing heights of 2003's "X2: X-Men United".
The gang's pretty much all here for the purported final go-round, which sees the makings of a virtual mutant civil war ignited by the introduction of a pharmaceutical cure for their afflictions/attributes.
That promise of conformity offered by the crusading Warren Worthington Sr. (Michael Murphy) further alienates the mutant society with its double-edged ramifications.
Unsurprisingly, the "cure" triggers a sociological showdown between the ever-tolerant Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the mercurial Magneto (Ian McKellen), who vows to obliterate both the remedy and its adherents, human and mutant alike.
Meanwhile, on a more local level, Logan, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), is thrown for an emotional loop when the extremely telepathic Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) emerges from what was believed to have been her watery grave with her powers notably undiluted.
But while the setup, with its underlying themes of sexual identity and alienation more pronounced than ever, is intriguing enough, "Last Stand" is more concerned about getting to the next special effects sequence than it is about tapping into those relevant undercurrents.
Sticking mainly to the surface, Ratner, who came on board after the hasty departure of "Layer Cake" director Matthew Vaughn, keeps things moving swiftly enough, but his writing team (Singer took previous "X-Men" scribes Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris to the "Superman" movie) -- including Simon Kinberg ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith") and Zak Penn -- fails to nail the requisite tone.
So while Jackman, Janssen, McKellen, Stewart, Halle Berry's Storm, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, as well as newcomer Kelsey Grammer's hairy, blue-tinged Dr. Henry McCoy/Beast are all in fine fighting form, their superpowers ultimately are rendered useless in the face of some ultradumb dialogue that truly misses the "X-Men" mark.
Visual effects supervisor John Bruno, meanwhile, doesn't disappoint with some franchise-worthy set pieces -- among them a dramatic repositioning of the Golden Gate Bridge and a rather extreme makeover of Grey's suburban home -- that are worthy of the Marvel moniker.
X-Men: The Last Stand
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox presents in association with Marvel Entertainment a Donners Co. production of a Brett Ratner film
Credits:
Director: Brett Ratner
Screenwriters: Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Avi Arad
Executive producers: Stan Lee, Kevin Feige, John Palermo
Director of photography: Dante Spinotti
Production designer: Edward Verreaux
Editors: Mark Helfrich, Mark Goldblatt, Julia Wong
Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky
Music: John Powell
Visual effects supervisor: John Bruno
Cast:
Logan/Wolverine: Hugh Jackman
Storm: Halle Berry
Professor Charles Xavier: Patrick Stewart
Magneto: Ian McKellen
Jean Grey: Famke Janssen
Rogue: Anna Paquin
Dr. Henry McCoy/Beast: Kelsey Grammer
Cyclops: James Marsden
Mystique: Rebecca Romijn
Bobby Drake/Iceman: Shawn Ashmore
Pyro: Aaron Stanford
Juggernaut: Vinnie Jones
Warren Worthington III/Angel: Ben Foster
Kitty Pryde: Ellen Page
Callisto: Dania Ramirez
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 104 minutes...
With creative force Bryan Singer having vacated the X-Men universe for the highly anticipated "Superman Returns", Brett Ratner has taken the reins, and though the picture is not without its wow-inducing, SFX-driven moments, that potent X-factor is considerably diminished in Singer's absence.
Arriving Friday on the heels of tonight's splashy Cannes premiere, the film should still enjoy an X-cellent opening weekend, but less assured is its ability to scale the $214.8 million-grossing heights of 2003's "X2: X-Men United".
The gang's pretty much all here for the purported final go-round, which sees the makings of a virtual mutant civil war ignited by the introduction of a pharmaceutical cure for their afflictions/attributes.
That promise of conformity offered by the crusading Warren Worthington Sr. (Michael Murphy) further alienates the mutant society with its double-edged ramifications.
Unsurprisingly, the "cure" triggers a sociological showdown between the ever-tolerant Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the mercurial Magneto (Ian McKellen), who vows to obliterate both the remedy and its adherents, human and mutant alike.
Meanwhile, on a more local level, Logan, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), is thrown for an emotional loop when the extremely telepathic Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) emerges from what was believed to have been her watery grave with her powers notably undiluted.
But while the setup, with its underlying themes of sexual identity and alienation more pronounced than ever, is intriguing enough, "Last Stand" is more concerned about getting to the next special effects sequence than it is about tapping into those relevant undercurrents.
Sticking mainly to the surface, Ratner, who came on board after the hasty departure of "Layer Cake" director Matthew Vaughn, keeps things moving swiftly enough, but his writing team (Singer took previous "X-Men" scribes Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris to the "Superman" movie) -- including Simon Kinberg ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith") and Zak Penn -- fails to nail the requisite tone.
So while Jackman, Janssen, McKellen, Stewart, Halle Berry's Storm, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, as well as newcomer Kelsey Grammer's hairy, blue-tinged Dr. Henry McCoy/Beast are all in fine fighting form, their superpowers ultimately are rendered useless in the face of some ultradumb dialogue that truly misses the "X-Men" mark.
Visual effects supervisor John Bruno, meanwhile, doesn't disappoint with some franchise-worthy set pieces -- among them a dramatic repositioning of the Golden Gate Bridge and a rather extreme makeover of Grey's suburban home -- that are worthy of the Marvel moniker.
X-Men: The Last Stand
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox presents in association with Marvel Entertainment a Donners Co. production of a Brett Ratner film
Credits:
Director: Brett Ratner
Screenwriters: Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Avi Arad
Executive producers: Stan Lee, Kevin Feige, John Palermo
Director of photography: Dante Spinotti
Production designer: Edward Verreaux
Editors: Mark Helfrich, Mark Goldblatt, Julia Wong
Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky
Music: John Powell
Visual effects supervisor: John Bruno
Cast:
Logan/Wolverine: Hugh Jackman
Storm: Halle Berry
Professor Charles Xavier: Patrick Stewart
Magneto: Ian McKellen
Jean Grey: Famke Janssen
Rogue: Anna Paquin
Dr. Henry McCoy/Beast: Kelsey Grammer
Cyclops: James Marsden
Mystique: Rebecca Romijn
Bobby Drake/Iceman: Shawn Ashmore
Pyro: Aaron Stanford
Juggernaut: Vinnie Jones
Warren Worthington III/Angel: Ben Foster
Kitty Pryde: Ellen Page
Callisto: Dania Ramirez
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 104 minutes...
- 5/22/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"X-Men" contains a lively enough mix of athletic stunts,
otherworldly characters and heavy special effects to ensure keen youth interest in this film version of the wildly popular Marvel Comics title. But nonfans of the comic book may wonder what all of the fuss is about. While it's spirited entertainment, "X-Men" lacks the style and substance of such top-drawer science-fiction movies as "The Matrix" or "The Empire Strikes Back".
Whether the film will have enough boxoffice oomph to establish a franchise for Fox is an open question. Unlike film series based on comic books such as "Batman" or "Superman", "X-Men" features an army of heroes and villains, leaving the nonfan without a major character to identify with. Of course, the multiplicity of characters may be a positive attribute in a film series, bringing more depth and complexity to future installments.
For director Bryan Singer, though, whose career really took off with his stylish "The Usual Suspects", "X-Men" marks a backward step into impersonal, effects-driven filmmaking. This is a thoroughly competent though not terribly compelling work that demonstrates Singer's ability to handle the logistics of a big-budget production. But he loses his storytelling voice in the process.
In the not-too-distant future of Stan Lee's "X-Men" comic books, a sizable minority of humans have evolved into creatures with phenomenal mental or physical abilities. But the international community is divided about how to respond to these "mutants." Are they warrior-saviors or dangerous misfits who should be isolated from society?
The situation forces Prof. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), himself a telepath, to gather together these misunderstood individuals into a "mutant high," where they learn how to harness their amazing powers.
Among the pupils are white-haired Storm (Halle Berry), who is able to control the weather, Cyclops (James Marsden), whose eyes emit energy rays, and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who possesses telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Despite the gender mix, these are the X-Men.
Meanwhile, the professor's former friend and now archenemy, Magneto (Ian McKellen), prepares for the coming battle between men and mutants by recruiting an evil brotherhood to rule the world. Magneto's minions include the physically powerful Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), whose growl is definitely not worse than his bite, the leaping Toad (Ray Park), whose recoiling, yards-long tongue creates all sorts of mischief, and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos beneath layers of blue makeup and silicone prosthetics), who can morph into seemingly anybody.
Interestingly, two main protagonists among the X-Men hate their "gifts." The sullen, anti-social Logan, a k a Wolverine (Australian actor Hugh Jackman), possesses the ability to physically heal himself. Because of this, years before, he fell victim to a bizarre medical experiment that welded retractable metal claws to his skeleton, giving him an unwanted power that only brings him unhappiness.
His companion is Rogue (Anna Paquin), a young girl whose touch can destroy, rendering her incapable of intimacy with any boy. But since she can absorb the powers of other mutants, she becomes an object of desire in Magneto's plot to destroy humankind.
The high-tech battles -- the de rigueur melange of stunts, effects and explosions -- are executed well but fall curiously flat. Much more intriguing is Stan Lee's notion that these superheroes suffer from paranoia and angst. Their unwelcome powers are hurtful and troubling to them as human beings.
Indeed, this angle could have been fruitfully explored at greater length. But Singer and screenwriter David Hayter (working from Singer and Tom DeSanto's story) get easily distracted by both the need to introduce many of the potential franchise's characters and the desire to deliver the action goods.
As a consequence, the film suffers from incompleteness. Characters are poorly sketched, and story lines dangle. When George Lucas created his first "Star Wars" film, before anyone could tell that a series would follow, he made certain that his film stood on its own with completely realized characters and a story line that had closure.
In "X-Men", though, only fans of the comic book will understand many of the scenes and oblique references. Even the main protagonists get short shrift.
Visually, the Toronto-lensed production is impressive. In his third collaboration with Singer, cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel goes for dark, subdued hues. The editing by Steven Rosenblum, Kevin Stitt and John Wright makes for a well-paced film. Only Michael Kamen's forgettable score misses the mark.
X-MEN
20th Century Fox
in association with Marvel Entertainment Group
the Donners' Co./Bad Hat Harry
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: David Hayter
Story by: Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer
Executive producers: Avi Arad, Stan Lee,
Richard Donner, Tom DeSanto
Director of photography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Production designer: John Myhre
Music: Michael Kamen
Co-producers: Joel Simon, William S. Todman Jr.
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Editors: Steven Rosenblum, Kevin Stitt,
John Wright
Color/stereo
Cast:
Xavier: Patrick Stewart
Magneto: Ian McKellen
Wolverine: Hugh Jackman
Jean Grey: Famke Janssen
Storm: Halle Berry
Rogue: Anna Paquin
Sabretooth: Tyler Mane
Toad: Ray Park
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
otherworldly characters and heavy special effects to ensure keen youth interest in this film version of the wildly popular Marvel Comics title. But nonfans of the comic book may wonder what all of the fuss is about. While it's spirited entertainment, "X-Men" lacks the style and substance of such top-drawer science-fiction movies as "The Matrix" or "The Empire Strikes Back".
Whether the film will have enough boxoffice oomph to establish a franchise for Fox is an open question. Unlike film series based on comic books such as "Batman" or "Superman", "X-Men" features an army of heroes and villains, leaving the nonfan without a major character to identify with. Of course, the multiplicity of characters may be a positive attribute in a film series, bringing more depth and complexity to future installments.
For director Bryan Singer, though, whose career really took off with his stylish "The Usual Suspects", "X-Men" marks a backward step into impersonal, effects-driven filmmaking. This is a thoroughly competent though not terribly compelling work that demonstrates Singer's ability to handle the logistics of a big-budget production. But he loses his storytelling voice in the process.
In the not-too-distant future of Stan Lee's "X-Men" comic books, a sizable minority of humans have evolved into creatures with phenomenal mental or physical abilities. But the international community is divided about how to respond to these "mutants." Are they warrior-saviors or dangerous misfits who should be isolated from society?
The situation forces Prof. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), himself a telepath, to gather together these misunderstood individuals into a "mutant high," where they learn how to harness their amazing powers.
Among the pupils are white-haired Storm (Halle Berry), who is able to control the weather, Cyclops (James Marsden), whose eyes emit energy rays, and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who possesses telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Despite the gender mix, these are the X-Men.
Meanwhile, the professor's former friend and now archenemy, Magneto (Ian McKellen), prepares for the coming battle between men and mutants by recruiting an evil brotherhood to rule the world. Magneto's minions include the physically powerful Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), whose growl is definitely not worse than his bite, the leaping Toad (Ray Park), whose recoiling, yards-long tongue creates all sorts of mischief, and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos beneath layers of blue makeup and silicone prosthetics), who can morph into seemingly anybody.
Interestingly, two main protagonists among the X-Men hate their "gifts." The sullen, anti-social Logan, a k a Wolverine (Australian actor Hugh Jackman), possesses the ability to physically heal himself. Because of this, years before, he fell victim to a bizarre medical experiment that welded retractable metal claws to his skeleton, giving him an unwanted power that only brings him unhappiness.
His companion is Rogue (Anna Paquin), a young girl whose touch can destroy, rendering her incapable of intimacy with any boy. But since she can absorb the powers of other mutants, she becomes an object of desire in Magneto's plot to destroy humankind.
The high-tech battles -- the de rigueur melange of stunts, effects and explosions -- are executed well but fall curiously flat. Much more intriguing is Stan Lee's notion that these superheroes suffer from paranoia and angst. Their unwelcome powers are hurtful and troubling to them as human beings.
Indeed, this angle could have been fruitfully explored at greater length. But Singer and screenwriter David Hayter (working from Singer and Tom DeSanto's story) get easily distracted by both the need to introduce many of the potential franchise's characters and the desire to deliver the action goods.
As a consequence, the film suffers from incompleteness. Characters are poorly sketched, and story lines dangle. When George Lucas created his first "Star Wars" film, before anyone could tell that a series would follow, he made certain that his film stood on its own with completely realized characters and a story line that had closure.
In "X-Men", though, only fans of the comic book will understand many of the scenes and oblique references. Even the main protagonists get short shrift.
Visually, the Toronto-lensed production is impressive. In his third collaboration with Singer, cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel goes for dark, subdued hues. The editing by Steven Rosenblum, Kevin Stitt and John Wright makes for a well-paced film. Only Michael Kamen's forgettable score misses the mark.
X-MEN
20th Century Fox
in association with Marvel Entertainment Group
the Donners' Co./Bad Hat Harry
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: David Hayter
Story by: Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer
Executive producers: Avi Arad, Stan Lee,
Richard Donner, Tom DeSanto
Director of photography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Production designer: John Myhre
Music: Michael Kamen
Co-producers: Joel Simon, William S. Todman Jr.
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Editors: Steven Rosenblum, Kevin Stitt,
John Wright
Color/stereo
Cast:
Xavier: Patrick Stewart
Magneto: Ian McKellen
Wolverine: Hugh Jackman
Jean Grey: Famke Janssen
Storm: Halle Berry
Rogue: Anna Paquin
Sabretooth: Tyler Mane
Toad: Ray Park
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 7/14/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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