Gerry Conway - Off the Record Interview Musings

I watched the DVD "Off the Record with Gerry Conway" the day I received it in the mail. Rather than review the DVD, I'm just going to tell people to purchase the 3 1/2 sit-down talk with one of the most prolific (and enjoyable) Marvel and D.C. Comics writers of the 1970's and 1980's. Click the link to OffTheRecordDVD.com to make a purchase.

By the way - head over to TwoMorrows.com and purchase a great back issue of Alter Ego magazine that features a very in-depth career retrospective with Gerry Conway.

Repeating what is found on the DVD would be a boring review. I'll just mention the two things that really stood out in my mind after the initial viewing. Gerry Conway made two very serious points:

1.) Comic books have become a niche and the pop culture love of superheroes has moved to the movie industry,

2.) The era of the larger than like comic book creator is long over.

I recently checked the November sales figures for comic books. After the huge boom in sales from the first few D.C. Rebirth and Star Wars books, sales are way, way down. The top book, Batman, is sold a little over 100,000 copies and most Marvel and D.C. books are selling 40,000 - 60,000 or so.

Not too many people other there buying comic books. Millions upon millions of people are watching the movies. The great wonder of superheroes still connects with fans of all ages all over the world -- but in a different medium.


And it is pretty difficult to be a "larger than life" comic book creator when no one knows who you are because no one is buying your books. A great many actors, actresses, and directors are pretty larger than life thanks to their cinematic success.

Comic books won't be going away any time soon. The crazy prices and the release of tons of books to a small number of buyers does keep money rolling in. More money, however, is going to role in from movies, TV shows, video games, and merchandise for years to come.

Sad to say -- the comic book industry is now more of a story development project for entertainment properties. Is this good or bad? Gerry Conway mentions Harlan Ellison in his interview. Ellison once said all movie set in the future are positive even when the futuristic world is a bleak one. Ellison said something to the effect of "Don;t worry about how bad the future is. Be happy it is still there."

The Human Side of Luke Cage

How much of Luke Cage is a fantasy hero and how much of him is a normal man?

Luke Cage is human, all too human. For someone with bulletproof skin and superhuman strength that defies the laws of physics, Luke Cage is very human. Mike Colter truly does flesh the character out in the outstanding Netflix series. As with Marvel's Jessica Jones, the series focuses on a hero who has unique special abilities -- but no garish costume. And the backdrop in which Marvel's Luke Cage takes place is very real.

Saying there is a "human side" to Luke Cage may even be a misnomer. He is all too human - a man with the complexities of a tragic hero. Maybe it would be better to say there is a superhero side to Luke Cage. He's 95% Luke Cage and 5% Power Man. Unlike Daredevil or Iron Fist, Luke Cage does not allow himself to be swallowed up by an alter ego. Perhaps this is the reason for some of his complex misery. Becoming Power Man would allow for a brief departure from the life that is Luke Cage. The former "Hero for Hire" won't allow this. He never hides from who he is.

Luke Cage is a man who has found himself in very difficult circumstances and as a victim of circumstance. His false imprisonment sent him down a completely different path in life. Even free from prison, Luke Cage cannot live a peaceful existence. His attempts at blending in as a normal person in a normal life is consistently upended. Being superhuman not the reason why although enhanced strength and indestructible skin does help him during various. Being all too human is the source of his difficult existence. A powerful code of honor keeps him constantly in the thick of drama and trouble.

Luke Cage suffer through life because he is Power Man. He suffers because he is a rare character in the world. Luke Cage is a real man.

The Killing Joke Goes Animated and Stays Dark

The animated adaption of The Killing Joke is a decent entry in the D.C. Comics animated film series. Flaws exist with the padded nature of stretching out the source material, but watching the film play out does bring the original comic work to life. A slight Ralph Bakshi-style edge to the animation adds to the dark nature of the film, but the source material -- the original comic book -- still is delivers an incredible emotional shock.




The Classic Alan Moore Comic Revisited

Alan Moore's classic The Killing Joke was one of four Batman arcs that forever changed the direction of The Caped Crusader as he would be portrayed in D.C. Comics. The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, and Batman: A Death in the Family all helped redefine a more mature and serious hero. The Killing Joke was unique in the sense the story did not redefine Batman, but redefined The Joker. Always evil, no one really understood The Joker's motivation behind his sheer insanity. The Killing Joke acted as The Joker: Year One in the sense the mysterious villain's early origin is fleshed out to a greater degree. "One bad day" is all it took for a failed comic to become a malevolent villain.

The Joker/Batman Duet

The Joker repeats this to Batman in the non-flashback sections of the tale. The irony is not be lost on The Caped Crusader.  One bad day is all it took to alter the path of young Bruce Wayne to become a dark, brooding vigilante.

The other piece of unmistakable irony is The Joker is not the only one with a psychological imbalance. The obsessed Bruce Wayne clearly suffers from a psychiatric disorder. Normal people do not dress up as a bat and fight crime.

And like The Joker, Batman has abandoned his real identity. While The Joker completely abandoned who he was before becoming The Clown Prince of Crime, Batman only maintains the Bruce Wayne persona because he is forced to do so. Batman cannot cease being Bruce Wayne due to all the complexities associated with being the billionaire owner of Wayne Enterprises.

Being Barbara Gordon and Becoming a New Batman

The animated version does try to flesh out the character of Batgirl in order to make the audience care more about her when she is victimized by The Joker. Creating a love story backdrop between Batman and Batgirl is a nice touch. Batman remains woefully detached since the Bruce Wayne, the human component to the dual character, is buried deep within a damaged psyche. Barbara Gordon is alive. She has not become Batgirl. Batgirl is the traditional alter ego intended to protect an identity. Barbara Gordon does not lose her humanity, which creates friction between her and The Batman.

A nice touch.

A 20-minute epilogue to a main narrative, however,  is not the same thing as decades upon decades of seeing the character in print. The shooting of Barbara Gordon in the comic book was one of the most shocking plot twists in D.C. Comics' history. Batman path to a darker and more serious future was cemented.

Changing a legendary character is not a decision any publishing house would like to entertain. At the time, D.C. Comics' hand was forced. 

D.C. Comics' New Direction

The Killing Joke was published at a time when Marvel Comics was embarrassing D.C. Comics in sales. Things were horrible in the late 1970's when D.C. Comics was forced to cancel a multitude of titles. Marvel Comics was able to ride the success of the KISS comics and the massive hit of the Star Wars title. Under Jim Shooter's tenure as editor-in-chief, Marvel Comics' sales would skyrocket. Marvel was the future of comics. D.C. was old-fashioned and headed towards irrelevancy. D.C. Comics did change direction and did so successfully. Great and memorable stories such as The Killing Joke were the reasons behind the success.

Making a Villain Relevant

The film and comic version of The Killing Joke are both intended to redefine The Joker. The short length of the graphic novel was able to dramatically achieve this result. The rather short movie doesn't entirely do so as well. The pathos of the "human" who becomes The Joker is a bit rushed in the film and not as paced as well as the comic.  Largely, this is because more time is spent on the Batgirl character in the film. The Joker's onscreen story suffers at the gain of Batgirl's.

The film does has its flaws. The revelation The Joker's wife has died was painfully brutal in the graphic novel. In the film, the scene is rushed (the same pace issue emerges again) and reaction to the news is ridiculously underplayed. The edge is taken off the deep sympathy that is needed to be directed to the character for the scene to work.

The impact of the reinvention of The Joker was always going to be dulled in the movie version. The graphic novel fit into the context of the (then) 60 years worth of conflict between Batman and The Joker. The animated version of The Killing Joke is too "standalone" to yield such an impact.

To repeat, The Killing Joke, as a movie, is a mixed bag. Certain stories just do not translate well to different mediums.

The Walking Dead and Dead Nerd Psychology Walking

The Walking Dead's ratings are on a downward spiral. The debut episode of season 7 drew 17 million viewers and now its down to just 10 million. We all know this. If the show drops to 8 million - it is still going to be around. The program is nowhere near cancellation levels. If the new seasons of The Walking Dead do nothing more than help sell video games and merchandise, the show is still going to be a mega money maker.

The seventh season, however, is shaping up to be a flop for reasons every entertainment writer has already (accurately) mentioned. The problems with season season are vast - unfocused narration, too many characters, excessive violence, and the like.

17 million people tuned into the debut episode and were really turned off by the sadistic violence. Millions left and probably aren't coming back. (At least not any time soon)

And truth be told, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is creepy in the role of Negan, but the character of Negan flat out is not translating well to TV. The character of Negan works great in the comic book because the "alpha male" villain works fantastically well with a nerdish audience of 100,000 readers. The "nerd psychology" that makes Negan so "awesome" in the monthly comic book doesn't translate to mainstream audiences.

To a nerd, Negan is an alpha male. No matter how outrageous he acts, there is the desire to be someone like him: feared, respected, and in charge.

To mainstream audiences, Negan is a beta male trying to look like an alpha. No matter how impressive he tries to act, he comes off as an insecure bully.

The "cool smugness" may impress nerds, but the larger mainstream audience finds Negan annoying. When he turns up on screen, he is too one-note and one-dimensional. As an oddball villain in the comic book, his bizarre character works. On screen, he is just too obtuse. Without adding some more depth to the character and changing him up some, Negan's current characterization is going to wreck the show.

And what a shame for Jeffrey Dean Morgan - he really is a charismatic actor.

Looper and the Incredible Missed Opportunities with the Hulk Franchise

Looper hits all the major points as to why there won't be third Hulk solo movie any time soon - if ever. The Incredible Hulk remains one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. In the late 1980's, when I "grew out" of comic books (I would make a triumphant return as a regular reader within a few years) John Byrne's outstanding run on The Incredible Hulk allowed the comic to be the last one I would continue to read after ceasing with the other titles in the Marvel and D.C. line.

The Hulk truly is an outstanding character, but he is a character that needs a supporting cast to help with the narrative. In the wonder Incredible Hulk TV series, all the human drama and emotion came from Bill Bixby's endearing portrait of the drifting scientist.

Looper also is not afraid to mention the first Hulk film -- truth be told -- killed the franchise before it started.

What a shame considering there are so many outstanding Hulk stories to craft into....maybe an adult animated television series?

Or perhaps we should all be thrilled and content with the animated adaptions they come forth from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

  

BTW!

Hulk Fans Can Check Out Hub About The Dumb Hulk's Childhood Angst.

Wonder Woman Enters The Great War...and Debuts a New Trailer

Wonder Woman has a mission and it involves stopping "The Great War." There is a certain sense of irony present with setting Wonder Woman's debut film in World War I. Perhaps World War II would have connected the Amazonian heroine a bit too much to Marvel's Captain America. Or maybe the creative minds at D.C. Entertainment and Warner Bros. just wanted to craft a movie that is a bit different. Considering the previous critical disappointments of the prior D.C. Comic releases, a more creative approach was needed for the Wonder Woman film.

So World War I is selected for the backdrop and the irony emerges - a tragic irony of sorts. Several 100-year anniversaries connected to the First World War passed with virtually no mention outside of historical or specialty cable channels. Glancing through social media, topics related to World War I history were totally ignored. No, ignoring them would require a conscious act. Major events and anniversaries were not mentioned because people knew nothing about them in the first place.

World War I was a pivotal event in world history and set in motion incredible global changes that resonated throughout the 20th century. Yet, the Great War is casually dismissed by those living today. The shadow of World War II further buries notoriety about the Great War.

Wonder Woman's history in comic books has also been overshadowed and ignored. Her comic book series has had a number of ups and downs throughout the decades. This is somewhat sad considering how iconic the character was in the 1940's when she debuted.

Until recently, she had been stuck as a supporting player finding difficulty connecting with readers in her own title. And if Linda Carter had not played the character in the classic TV series, Wonder Woman could have ended up a totally forgotten character. (Although the Super Friends animated series helped a bit, too)

The arrival of Wonder Woman in Batman v. Superman helped return the heroine to mainstream pop culture status. Hopefully, the new Wonder Woman film will reinvigorate major interest in the character...and in the history of World War I.

The Old Man Logan Trailer Hits The Internet

The trailer for Old Man Logan has arrived. The end is near for the Hugh Jackman run as Wolverine. What a fitting source material to draw from for the end.

Old Man Logan is one of the few Marvel Comics I read these days. Unlike when I was 10 years old, life's responsibilities make it pretty difficult to make comic book reading the only thing on the daily to-do list. Perhaps if I work hard enough and save enough money, I can retire early and go right back to reading comic books on a full-time basis.

Old Man Logan: The Marvel Comic for the Middle-Aged

Why do I pick Old Man Logan as one of the comic books I am still able to read? Two reasons stand out in my mind: the writing and the artwork are both excellent. Each issue of Old Man Logan leaves me wanting to buy the next one to see the tale of the former Wolverine unfold. I'm not alone. Marvel's sales are far lower than D.C.'s these days, but Old Man Logan does 50,000+ copies per month. Not exceptional by any means, but a lot of the Marvel books are selling below that number.

And then there is another reason - I'm old, too. 44 years old is not exactly over the hill. I'm still younger than Hugh Jackman and he is pretty youthful in style and appearance.

Old Man Logan is way, way older than 44 - but he's still middle-aged considering his tremendous life expectancy. The themes and style of Old Man Logan do play well to someone like myself - an older person who pop culture sensibilities are not in tune with someone who is 17. Old Man Logan's musings on life, the universe, and everything reflect an aged, world-weary person who wants to find peace but is dragged back into the difficult and violent life of his past. The character connects with older readers while not alienating younger ones.

Goodbye to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine

And Old Man Logan is the perfect swan song for Hugh Jackman always excellent portrayal of Wolverine in the X-Men movies and solo projects. Even when the films were subpar, Jackman delivered a great performance that truly captured the essence of the angry, detached Logan/Wolverine. When the films were outstanding (such as Days of Future Past) Jackman turned in some of the best onscreen superhero performances a fan could ask for.

Things do come to an end and Marvel Studios wants to reboot the X-Men series. That means a new Wolverine. Rather than simple let Jackman fade away, he is getting the perfect material to say goodbye to the character that made him famous.

Old Man Logan Trailer Musings

Old Man Logan is renamed Logan, which makes better sense from a marketing perspective. The themes of old age, loss, and sadness permeate the trailer. The use of a very sad Johnny Cash song sets the tone for the somewhat depressing, melodramatic trailer. The film is clearly targeting older audiences, an audience that has grown in the 16 years since the first X-Men feature debuted.

Logan is much older and burned out in the trailer. He is seemingly targeted by the military - presumably because mutants are no longer supposed to be in existence in this dark future. Logan is pained and living outside of the humanity he never truly belonged to....and it seems he discovers a daughter who makes life worth living for him again.

"Logan, you still have time" intones Patrick Stewart's Professor X as the trailer reaches its conclusion. Maybe that is a lesson for all. 

Looper and The Wrap's Take on Suicide Squad

The box office drop-off for Suicide Squad during the feature's second week was summed up by The Wrap.

• There are hardcore fans who positively must see every superhero movie ever made.
• The D.C. Extended Universe has its own niche of loyal fans.
• Warner Bros. and D.C. can't really grow the casual audience all that much beyond the above two.

 A near 70% decrease for the second weekend shows Suicide Squad has no legs, but a $220 million domestic gross (so far) means the film won't be a flop. However, the film going to deliver Warner/D.C. far less than anticipated - and hoped - for.

Looper takes a look at some future problems Warner and D.C. are likely to run into unless the ship of the Extended Universe is put back on course.

Suicide Squad's Mission Dies with the Critics

The reviews for Suicide Squad are rolling in - slowly but surely. They are not good. I was a bit worried about the film when I saw no reviews on RottenTomatoes.com a few days ago. When I found out there was a review embargo, well, I knew the score but was hoping for something different. Anyone who wants to check out the bad news - and it is bad news - can look at:

IndieWire - Suicide Squad Review: Margot Robbie Can't Save The Latest DC Disaster

The Verge - Suicide Squad has too many villains and not enough villainy to go around

SF Gate - Suicide Squad' is two hours of soul-sickening, sensory torment

You get the whole villainous idea. I am going to reserve judgment on this one since I haven't seen it. Ignoring the bad reviews, however, would be to deny the impending gloomy disaster. Blaming the critics is not the way to go. Saying "They don't get it" won't fly. Critics these days are not those of decades past. Years ago, movie critics had a snobbery to them. Today, critics are comprised of people who have a better appreciation for pop culture. Niche critics are sought after by audiences of particular genres. The newspapers may trash horror films, but horror fans are only going to take the review of top websites seriously.

Superhero and comic book films, however, have been smiled upon and awarded rave reviews from mainstream and niche critics. They are in agreement - overwhelmingly - this film is a dud.

Suicide Squad is shaping up to be another disappointment. Actually, it is going to be more than a disappointment. The collapse of D.C. Entertainment and Warner Bros. Studios' superhero movies may be in serious jeopardy. Batman v. Superman was a major critical failure, but still pulled in $800 million worldwide. If Suicide Squad turns off audiences, the next films in the D.C./Warner pipeline are going to be in trouble. Back-to-back disappointments do not spell well for Wonder Woman. Audiences are going to connect D.C. Comics' movies with a lack of quality - a branding disaster. If Wonder Woman falters, Justice League is going to be in a lot of trouble.

Another serious concern has to be raised here - Batman appears in Suicide Squad. Warner and D.C. might find themselves in the same position Marvel and Sony were in when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn't connect well with audiences. Serious fear existed Spider-Man would be destroyed as a box office draw. This led to the shut down of all proposed Spider-Man spinoffs and the third Andrew Garfield outing. Imagine the horror if Batman was killed off as a box office draw.

Could Warner and D.C. pull the plug on the current planned out cinematic universe and reboot things? If so, how? Wonder Woman is finished and Justice League is in production.

Not an easy situation to navigate, folks.



 

Spider-Man Lament '77

Turning back the clock almost 40 years takes us to the short-lived but never forgotten Spider-Man television series starring Nicholas Hammond. I remember watching the pilot episode when it originally aired on television and sat enthralled watching the wall-crawler come to life on TV. And then the show disappeared. For years, I thought it was because the rating were poor. Shockingly, the ratings did quite well but CBS cancelled the show anyway. CBS was already airing the successful Incredible Hulk television show and didn't want to become known as "the superhero network" and lose advertiser dollars.

The quick abandonment of Spider-Man really was one of those unfair incidents in television history. Plans were made to bring Spider-Man to The Incredible Hulk TV, but the crossover never happened.

Defending Netflix's Two Marvel Shows Per Season Rule

Fans are a bit irked over the news that Daredevil and Jessica Jones' solo adventures are on a brief hiatus. Netflix is sticking to it rule regarding "only two Marvel shows per season". With Luke Cage and The Defenders appearing in 2017, Daredevil and Jessica Jones' new seasons have to wait until 2018. The two characters, of course, are major players in The Defenders so its not like we won't see them at all. They are just being brought into an ensemble piece along with Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

BGR Tech has the whole story about Jessica Jones and Daredevil getting the solo hiatus treatment.

Fans who leave, breathe, and binge watch Marvel (and D.C.) television shows might be shaking their heads at the notion no new television programs are in the works. These fans should be thankful Netflix is taking the slow road approach.....even if others are not doing the same.

The big fear everyone has (or should have) about comic book movies and television shows is audiences are going to burn out on them. An audience is always going to exist for superhero programs. How large that audience is depends on a number of factors. Does the program have mainstream or niche appeal? Based on TV ratings and box office results, the interest in superhero (and other comic book-related properties) remains high.  Overexposure and "too much of the same stuff" syndrome are factors that are likely to chip away at audience size. People do end up getting bored and wanting something different. Slowing down the flow of comic book properties - as opposed to riding the fad into the ground while its hot - is a better long-term approach.

Netflix is being careful with its properties and is avoiding the urge to rush out three or four series per year. Doing so may help Netflix keep its audience even if the comic book movie/TV show fad slowly starts to decline.

For now, here's The Defenders' teaser:

The Amazonian Arrives - Wonder Woman (2017) Trailer Debuts at the San Diego Comic Con

The trailer for DC's Wonder Woman debuts - no surprise, the San Diego Comic Con is loaded with trailer debuts. The Wonder Woman trailer reveals the film is most definitely not going to be campy like the classic TV series of TV's past. Wonder Woman is sticking with the (original) Warner Bros./D.C. Entertainment concept of developing a darker, grittier universe than Marvel's. This was Batman v. Superman's undoing. Suicide Squad (allegedly) experienced reshoots due to Warner wanting to lighten the tone.

Is the world ready for a serious Wonder Woman? We have until 2017 to find out. (And Warner Bros. has that long to reshoot things if need be)

One huge plus here - the film is set during World War II, which takes us back to the very early origins of the comic heroine.

The Trailers for Netflix's Luke Cage and Iron Fist Debut

Netflix Marvel fans can now catch a glimpse of what to expect from the forthcoming Luke Cage series. The first teaser trailer debuted and its loaded with the cool action and melodrama to be expected. The series isn't Luke Cage's debut as the character (played by Mike Colter) was a memorable supporting member of Marvel's Jessica Jones series.

The character first appeared in Marvel Comics in the early 1970's with Luke Cage: Hero for Hire, a series that started out quite good and then suffered from an uneven direction.

Cage got a silly name change to Power Man and was eventually teamed up with another character whose book was selling poorly, Iron Fist. The Power Man and Iron Fist book was a fun comic that had a decent run from the late 1970's to the mid/late 1980's.

And speaking of Iron Fist.....

Iron Fist was an underrated hero who arrived to cash in on the 1970's Kung Fu movie craze, but did not connect as well as Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu. An Iron Fist movie first went into development well over 15 years ago, but never materialized. And then along came Netflix.

Power Records and Werewolf By Night

Before Marvel was producing big movies for the big screen, a ton of excellent animation was produced for TV. In the pre-VCR days, home entertain was limited to audio recordings. Book and records were popular relics that can be relived through YouTube. Recently, I wrote a HUB about the classic Werewolf by Night adaption produced by the late, lamented Power Records of Newark, NJ.

Please check out my HUB on POWER RECORDS' CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF.

Here is the old-time book and record via YouTube:

Unofficially Official - Michael Keaton as The Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming

From Batman to Birdman to The Vulture, that's the abbreviated career path of Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton is always going to be remembered for his two-movie run as Batman. Those whose memories recall the 1980's are sure to remember his work in Mr. Mom, Clean & Sober, and Night Shift.

Careers have their ups and downs and their major comebacks. Keaton's Oscar nominated performance in Birdman opened a comeback door for him. He can still be a bit choosy regarding his roles. He turned down Kong: Skull Island and reported backed out of the new Spider-Man movie before agreeing to appear. Nothing is official yet, but Keaton is assumed to be the new villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming and that villain is The Vulture.

MovieWeb and other sources have been reporting on Keaton's signing in the new film since about May 20th.

The Vulture is a bit of an odd villain to select since he is so- well - 1960's Marvel Comics. When the character first debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #2, he was a garish and menacing villain. What made the original version of Adrian Toomes so creepy was his age. The Vulture was up in age and came across as a mean-spirited cranky old man. The villain fit perfectly in the "generation gap" theme during those early issues. (Young Peter Parker was constantly battling older authority figures in the form of creepy villains)

In the early 1960's, not much was needed to make a super-villain menacing. Donning a Vulture suit, flying around, and "whalloping" people was pretty much all you needed to do. The Vulture has remained a multi-decade fixture of the Spider-Man books, but his limited powers (a flying bird suit) does not exactly strike fear.

The demented side of Adrian Toomes, however, can be extremely unsettling. In 1968, Spider-Man battled The Vulture in a classic Stan Lee/John Romita story that featured a completely maniacal Toomes looking for revenge against Spider-Man....and giving the wall-crawler a vicious beating.

If Keaton brings that version of Toomes/Vulture to the screen, we might see a great bad guy-good guy dynamic play out.

Moon Knight May Be Headed to Netflix for Supernatural Series

Marvel Comics has launched YET ANOTHER new series featuring Moon Knight.

That is not the big news though. The real big news is the rumors about Netflix launching a Moon Knight television series are not 100% rumor. The streaming service is having such massive success so far Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and Blade are all in development. ScreenRant has the whole story so far.

All three heroes have something in common: they have a supernatural twist to them. Of the three, Ghost Rider and Blade were featured in hit movie franchises. Moon Knight never had the chance because he is - mostly - a B character.

Moon Knight's Identity Crisis

Marvel's resident Batman Redux has had several different comic book series published featuring him and, while some were uneven, most were actually quite good. The very best Moon Knight tales - IMHO - were published in The Hulk Magazine in the late 1970's/early 1980's. Moon Knight's solo series in the early 1980's was quite good, but did not sell well. Ditto for the cancelled 1990's series. Moon Knight returned in many forms in short-lived and decently written books. The problem with Moon Knight was (and is) the character was way too close to Batman to really stand out on his own.

To separate Moon Knight from Batman, they tweaked his alter ego and gave him three alter egos. In addition to being a reclusive billionaire Steve Grant, the man behind the cape and cowl was also mercenary Marc Spector and a cab driver Jake Lockley.

What is the root of all this alter ego mania? You see, Moon Knight has a split personality disorder. On top of that, he talks to Khonshu, an Egyptian Moon God who grants him special powers. Or Moon Knight could be mentally disturbed and thinks he is talking to Khonshu.

Which Moon Knight though? In addition to "Batman Moon Knight", there is a different Moon Knight who dresses more dapper and has an arrogant personality far removed from the original version of the character.

A lot of game playing with Moon Knight's identity really created a convoluted character with limited sales potential. Moon Knight has a cult following though and Marvel enjoys revisiting the character.

Hopefully, Marvel Studios and Netflix will keep things focused on the early Marc Spector mercenary version of Moon Knight and avoid any Steve Grant/Bruce Wayne/Batman comparisons.

Better yet, Marvel could play up Moon Knight's very early supernatural traits and set the stage for the debut of.......Werewolf by Night. Wishful thinking!

Moon Knight Debuts

Moon Knight's first appearance was in the excellent 1970's Marvel horror comic Werewolf by Knight. The two-part tale (issues #32 and #33) dealt with Moon Knight trying to capture the lycanthrope on behalf of an evil syndicate. A Werewolf by Night movie was planned and, surprisingly, promotional materials were produced announcing the film but nothing came about. Why not bring The Werewolf to Netflix?

During his battle with the werewolf, Moon Knight was scratched (not bitten, scratched) and this led to Moon Knight gaining power and strength proportionate with the cycles of the moon. All that ended up being dropped over time.

Marvel and Netflix could - and should - bring it back for the streaming series because Moon Knight's greatest appeal would be turning him into a hero that walks the tightrope between traditional heroes and traditional horror tales. Ghost Rider and Blade do this to great success.

The Horror Spin

Marvel has created a host of horror and supernatural characters throughout the course of its publishing history. Superheroes are always going to be Marvel's top attractions, but the horror and supernatural characters could be successful if marketed to the right niche.

Netflix has carved out a niche with "earthen" heroes who deal with gritty, real-life problems. Daredevil, The Punisher, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage are not out to save the world. They deal with the microcosm of crime on the harsh street level. Adding MORE characters who do the same thing would risk oversaturation. The impending arrivals of Iron Fist and Shang Chi show Netflix and Marvel understand this. These two heroes represent pure martial arts fantasy, and a move away from Hell's Kitchen.

Opening a new "fan front" with supernatural heroes (and villains) absolutely would be a good move.

The new Moon Knight comic series debuted issue one in April. Sales were in the 67,000 copies range.

Negan's Notorius Debut On The Walking Dead

Negan arrives. Results mixed.

Sorry for the long delay, but non-blog duties do take me away from making my originally planned twice-weekly updates. News flies so quickly in the massive world of comic book-inspired television and movie world so staying on top of things is pretty tough.

Besides, everyone already knows the big news. I'd like to focus on picking one bit of news and then expanding on it from an interesting angle. Or at least I try to make things interesting.

One thing I have been formulating in my head has been the debut of the nefarious, notorious Negan at the season finale of The Walking Dead.

By now, we all know a great deal of the reaction to the finale and the entire season has been somewhat negative. Viewer and critical complaints about the finale - and the season in general - focused on the slow pace of the series and the (supposedly) underwhelming debut of Negan. The complaints due have some merit since ratings for the season finale's ending were down. Fans were turned off upon discovering the reveal of who Negan killed would be delayed until next season. Viewers feel they are being milked for ratings. The tragic irony is the ratings have gone down. Viewers departed rather than experienced being taken advantage of.

That said.....The season as NOT bad and neither was the debut of Negan. I really though the season was quite good and Jeffrey Dean Morgan did make a great Negan. 

The issue with Negan is he is always going to be compared with The Governor. In the comic book, Negan debuted - seemingly - as a redux of The Governor. The redux was just The Governor with a different personality.

And then several months of monthly Walking Dead comic books featuring Negan, readers quickly discovered the personality of Negan is a lot different and far more engaging than The Governor. Negan is not "yet another antagonist" for The Walking Dead crew to deal with. He is a psychopath with a strange moral code that is the yang to the yin of his hideous immoral nature.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan mixed Negan's strange sense of humor, violent sadism, and technocratic free market pragmatiism to great effect. Perhaps it was a bit overwhelming for viewers not familiar with the character. In time, as the character of Negan is revealed through the course of the next season, viewers are going to see he is far different from the other antagonists that have appeared on the program. The interactions between Negan, Carl, and Rick further establish he is a different kind of villain. The amoral nature of Negan plays against Rick's own decent into violent authoritarianism.

Remember, Rick's plan was to kill Negan and all his gang. The purpose was to - in essence - set up his own protection racket, one no different than Negan's. The only thing that put a stop to Rick's own violent rampage was Negan had greater numbers and organization.

The entire fiasco was Rick's fault. A confrontation with Negan could have been avoided. The life of the (so far unrevealed) character would not have been lost.

Therein lies the ironic dynamic between Negan and Rick. Calling Negan a villain is difficult after Rick crossed a serious moral divide. And he did so long ago.

Punisher Series Is Greenlit By Netflix

No one should be surprised Netflix has opted to turn The Punisher into a weekly series. Jon Bernthal's performance as Frank Castle during season two of Daredevil clearly impressed fans. A Punisher series was considered even before season two was filmed. Netflix has a ton of Marvel-related ideas in various stages of development including even a possible Moon Knight series. Read the whole story at Entertainment Weekly.


The Punisher may appear on the upcoming Defenders ensemble special series.

The Magical Arrival of the Doctor Strange Trailer

I consider Doctor Strange the most interesting of all the superhero movies slated for a 2016 release. Along with Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange is pretty unique, and unique sometimes comes with questions about ticket sale potential. Suicide Squad features Batman & The Joker so box office gold is pretty much unavoidable for that film - at least for the first two weekends.

The character of Doctor Strange has been around for 50-odd years, but Batman he is not. The big question is can a hero who is so far removed from the typical suit/mask/secret identity mix catch on with mainstream audiences?

The history of Doctor Strange does not reflect a very successful publishing life. In the 1960's, the books Strange Tales and Doctor Strange sold fairly well  as cult publications. Sales on college campuses among the counterculture set were strong due to (misplaced) perceptions of Doctor Strange  being a nod to psychedelic contraband.

Doctor Strange's title was cancelled time and time again over the years even though many of the story arcs were downright excellent. As a supporting character, Doctor Strange has been used quite well. Carrying his own book has proven tough. Can he carry a movie?

Why wouldn't he? Superhero movies are almost like Beatlemania these days.

At this stage, pretty much every hero movie draws people into theaters unless it is exceptionally bad. Fantastic Four pulled in about $50 million despite being a disaster of epic proportions.

Maybe the time is right for a Doctor Strange movie right now. An "atypical" hero could end up being what audiences want. The hunger for more hero fare is out there, but there is probably a want for something different as well.

Jon Bernthal Does A Fine (and Violent) Turn as The Punisher

Jon Bernthal did a solid job as The Punisher. He is the fourth actor to step into the vigilante's combat boots. While Thomas Jane is always going to be everyone's favorite Punisher thanks to his role in the deliriously silly movie in 2004, Bernthal's version may end up being the dark, sinister one closer to the Marvel Max version.

Purists may be irked that Bernthal's Punisher talks a bit more than the comic anti-hero. Bernthal's Punisher reveals his feelings and internal anguish far more than the one seen in the comic books. Fans do have to realize the Netflix series has to establish a character that works well within the context of the story. That means the character of Frank Castle has to be fleshed out. A one-note killing machine would gain any sympathy from audiences. He may be able to shake things up during slow spots in the series, but that type of character gets old after a while.

In season two of Daredevil, The Punisher did appear as an intriguing yang to Matt Murdoch's ying. The trouble is the season shifted focus to the Elektra-Daredevil dynamic and dropped the moral difference angle between Castle and Murdoch. That's what happens when you only have 13 episodes per season to work with.

Bernthal's run as The Punisher in Daredevil was intriguing. Let's hope we see more of him in the future.

Countdown to Negan's Debut on The Walking Dead

"Hi. I'm Negan"

Chilling words make a great preview. Rather than rush things, The Walking Dead established a slow build for the brilliant character of Negan. In the comics, Negan developed into an outstanding villain. Insane, unredeeming, unpredictable, and adherent to a bizarre code of honor, Negan kept the comic series intriguing.

Fans of the book are sure to help give the 90-minute season finale a major buzz. This outstanding preview sets up the arrival of a villain far worse (and more interesting) than the zombie hordes the characters have been dodging.

Batman v. Superman: Box Office Opening Analysis

Rottentomatoes is reflecting a "29% Rotten" rating for the film that was supposed to launch the DC Extended Universe. The film does launch the universe, but on a sour (and dour) note. The opening weekend box office is going to be good news, but the news is sure to be short-lived. The-Numbers.com has a smart analysis of the film.

Batman v. Superman is on the road to breaking tons of records at the box office for March and Easter weekend. $80+ million on Friday is absolutely a fantastic start. The film, however, won't have legs to earn the $1 billion or so Avengers: Age of Ultron, Furious 7, or Jurassic World earned. Batman v. Superman is going to cool heavily and become a "wait for the DVD" release. Not good for a movie that needs to pull in $800 million to break even. The box office disappointment becomes even more embarrassing when Deadpool earned $750 million worldwide on a much, much smaller budget and far less hype.

Poor Reviews for Batman v. Superman?

Not to cast cold water and kryptonite on a movie's debut, but Rotten Tomatoes has the worst possible news D.C Entertainment and Warner Bros. could ever want to hear. Critics are SAVAGING Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Right now, only 33% of the reviews are positive - and that includes more than a few lukewarm ones. Horrible reviews for a film designed to launch a massive series of interconnected sequels and spinoffs hardly bodes well for anyone involved with the project.

The Lobo Movie's Back's Back

"Lobo's Back's Back" was the offbeat (and grammatically confusing) name given to the trade paperback that collected the excellent 1990's mini-series "Lobo's Back". Looks like the Lobo movie is back, too. Considering how many times the film project has had its starts and stops over the years, you could say "The Lobo's Movie's Back's Back's Back's and Back's Some More".

Lobo bounced around development hell for years and years. Each time the project moved forward one step, it would get knocked back two steps with the same refrain. Lobo, you see, was a "B-grade" character. No one wanted to put tens of millions of dollars of money up on B-grade characters.

The success of Deadpool, $760 million worldwide as of this writing, has led the powers that be at Warner and D.C. to change their tune. Deadpool was a "B-grade" character, too. That is why Fox only spent $60 million on the budget. Quite a bit of the script was scrapped over budget concerns.

And Deadpool turned out to be a mega-hit exceeding all expectations.
Lobo, in a lot of ways, is D.C. Comics' Deadpool. Lobo is an over-the-top, violent, and extremely funny character. While it may have taken a lot of time for someone to hit the greenlight on a Lobo movie, the go-ahead is still welcome. 

Deadpool Movie Box Office Breaks Record and Shocks World

Deadpool comic books may not be the hottest sellers in the industry, but the movie is the hottest ticket in town. Deadline has the official numbers - the movie pulled in $12+ million on Thursday previews and a staggering $40+ million on Friday. with the Monday holiday thrown in, Deadpool should draw $115 million.

All of this is ironic considering the movie was supposed to be just a R-rated niche action-hero feature. With a low (by superhero movie standards) budget, the film was designed as a franchise capable of turning a decent, acceptable profit during the winter months. In other words, Deadpool would make a few extra dollars for Fox and Marvel by selling tickets to the most hardcore of superhero fans.

Deadline also reports audiences noted they bought a ticket for two reasons: to see Ryan Reynolds and because Deadpool is a superhero movie. 59% made up the latter, and that means comic book/superhero movies are going to remain hot for a long, long time.

On a side note, the success of Deadpool really shows how wrongheaded Fox was when the studio approved the absurd Fantastic Four movie screenplay. Never mess with a formula that works.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Final Official Trailer Arrives

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is only around 40 days away from hitting thousands of screens, and the final official trailer for the film has been released. (Many thanks to the good people at Batman On Film for helping to draw attention to the trailer)

We don't get much insight into the villains. Lex Luthor is prominent, but there is no Doomsday. The trailer doesn't confirm rumors about the KGBEast and Bizarro. No matter. We'll all find out who the bad guys are when the film opens.

The trailer does focus on the main theme of the movie - Batman and Superman's tension, distrust, and opposition. D.C. Entertainment is noted for taking a risk with the all-villain ensemble Suicide Squad. Batman v. Superman reflects a similar risk - basing a film on the hero vs. hero dynamic popular in comic books. Maybe the plot isn't really all that much of a risk. It's something new. New sells. D.C. also gets to beat Marvel to the proverbial (and literal) punch as Captain America: Civil War won't feature the hero vs. hero theme until after Batman v. Superman hits the silver screen.













 

The Deadpool Movie Reveals An Appropriately Crackpot TV Marketing Campaign

Look for Deadpool movie commercials on Golden Girls reruns and episodes of Teen Mom.

Yeah, the marketing department handling the Ryan Reynolds Deadpool movie have gone as nuts as the "Merc With A Mouth".

All of Viacom is going Deadpool-crazy, too. On Monday February 8th, three solid hours of Deadpool commercials are going to run on Viacom channels such as MTV, VH1, and Spike.

Insanity, they name is Deadpool marketing. Ingenious is another "I word" worthy of being used. Gizmodo has the whole advertising-sordid story.

Deadpool is not going to pull in $200 million. Deadpool the movie is going to be a lot like Deadpool the comic book. The film is sure to have a small, dedicated group of fans. These fans are sure to show up during the debut weekend. Look for them to pay some bucks for DVD/Blu-ray special edition releases. The soundtrack to the movie is probably going to do better than anticipated. Mainstream movie-going audiences might not be so inclined to see a rude, R-rated superhero romp. The crazy advertising blitz may end up generating enough buzz that a few of those mainstream audience members buy tickets.

The over-the-top nature of the ads further the notion Deadpool is crazy with a capital C. C is also the letter "comedy" starts with. Maybe some folks looking for a comedy can end up being lulled into theaters thanks to the wackiness of the Deadpool movie advertising campaign.

20th Century Fox's old-time huckster approach to advertising just might make this film a cult hit.

Deadpool opens on February 12, 2016.

Everything Wrong With The Fantastic Four (2015) In 17 Minutes Or Less Or A Day Or A Week Or More

Whoever said all publicity is good publicity was, well, wrong. There is a lot of publicity motion pictures could do without. Bad reviews are publicity....very, very bad publicity. Bad publicity for the Fantastic Four reboot never ends. A pretty long and mocking video has just gotten a release, and the video is garnering more interest than the film it pokes (mean) fun at.

The one huge benefit of the massive 2015 disaster is the good folks at CinemaSin have created a lengthy (17 MINUTES!) video pointing out all the problems with the film. The indignity that is Fantastic Four continues. The video does condense all the bad reviews the film generated into, yup, 17 minutes.

Are D.C. Comics Movies and Television Shows Dominating Marvel Comics?

"2016. The Year of D.C. Comics."

Based on the sales figures of monthly comic books, that state is not going to be believable. Marvel Comics' sales have been much stronger than what the Distinguished Competition has served up.

The great website CinemaBlend has a great article up highlighting why D.C. Comics is going to edge out Marvel in the live-action realm.

In terms of television shows and motion pictures, D.C. Comics Entertainment is doing extremely well. The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Gotham, and Supergirl are doing extremely well on the small screen. Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad should be mega-smashes on the big screen.

Of course, Marvel has Captain America: Civil War, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse slated for 2016 release. Season 2 of Dardevil is soon to arrive on Netflix.

CinemaBlend is reporting that "social and digital tracking" are showing Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman are generating way more enthusiasm than the new Captain America and X-Men projects. Maybe a bit of Marvel fatigue has set in.

R-Rated and Animated: The Killing Joke Comes DVD/Blu-ray in 2016

A new Batman animated movie is scheduled for release. The Batman: The Killing Joke  animated movie continues D.C. Comics/Warner Bros. trend of adapting classic comic stories for the home video market.

In July of 2016, a month before the arrival of Suicide Squad in theaters, an adaption of Alan Moore's classic work, The Killing Joke, is to debut at the San Diego Comic Con before being unleashed on home video. New fans to Batman movies and comics might not be aware The Killing Joke tells the sad tale origin of The Joker. And it is pretty downbeat.

Interestingly, Warner Bros. has approved a R-Rating for The Joker's origin tale. The violence in the original book was done mostly out of panel, but the tone of the material was definitely mature in nature. The R-rating may be fitting after all.

Den of Geek has the news about Batman: The Killing Joke and its debut at the San Diego Comic Con in 2016, Executive Producer Bruce Timm give the whole lowdown.

Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie should give fans left who still want more of The Caped Crusader after Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad.

The 1988 publication of The Killing Joke was more than just the release of a one-shot special edition.

The Killing Joke continued D.C. Comics re-invention. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Marv Wolfman's Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Moore's Watchmen were among the works that helped D.C. Comics regain faded glory after seeing sales figures destroyed by Marvel Comics. As inferred on the 20/20 news feature on Marvel's 25th anniversary, at the time, D.C. Comics were pegged as old fashioned. Ironically, the departure of many Marvel writers and artists led to D.C. Comics gaining an infusion of creativity and many new sales.

Moore had done wonderful work on Swamp Thing and other titles. His unique writing skills made him the perfect person to tell the origin of The Joker. He hit a home run because people are still talking about - and making money with - The Killing Joke even after nearly 30 years.

One last bit of cool news, Mark Hamill reprises the voice talent he lent to Batman: The Animated Series. He is voicing The Joker in Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie.