How I would fix Marvel Comics.

 

How I would fix Marvel Comics.

Now Marvel is moving from New York to LA, and I've done this before, where I discuss how I would fix Marvel Comics because, let's face it, DC is winning because of titles like Absolute Batman. I mean, DC is winning in the comics because of that, and even the mainstream stuff is good too. I mean, there are some things that DC is doing that fans don't like, I agree, like too many Harley Quinn comics, and it's annoying; she's a good guy. I want her back as a villain, to be honest. Also one of her comics was a fart fetish and it's really weird look it up. 

DC is winning thanks to Scott Synder. 

Marvel needs to fix itself. It's crazy that they are leaving New York for LA after firing their editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski and replacing him with Steve Wacker. Now some are sad about C.B. leaving because I've heard he's a nice guy but there are some are happy about him leaving. Something is happening; a part of me thinks Marvel Comics is going downhill, and it could mean it is going out of business or is Steve coming in to fix what's wrong with Marvel comics. I hope Marvel is not going out of bussiness, but let's face it, Marvel Comics isn't that good anymore, and I'll explain five steps why it's failing.

5. Too many events: they have so many events happening every year now. 

To the point, why should we care? Back then, we did care about events like Civil War, World War Hulk, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, and Siege, but now we don't. Marvel needs to take a break from major events and just focus on characters with their own stories.

4. Too many copycat superheroes. 

There are now many superheroes who copy or take up another hero's mantle. We have, like, eight Spider-Men or Spider-Women; we have two Captain Americas, three Thors, two Daredevils, two Wolverines, and I can go on about this because it's getting annoying. We need only one superhero with that codename; we don't need another version of that character. We need to see more original characters create their own legacy and their own story instead of taking over someone else's mantle. I've read my fair share of great taking-up-the-mantle storylines like Bucky becoming Captain America and Dick Grayson becoming Batman, but in the end they went back to their own mantles. So seriously, Marvel needs to stop with the copycat trope for pandering's sake. Just give more of these characters like Sam Wilson, Elektra, Laura Kinney, and other characters their own titles and get them good writers. They don't have take the names of other heroes unless it's a good storyline because I did love Rick Remmender's Captain America run with Sam Wilson. It's just there are too many superheroes in Marvel with the same name.

3. They won't let Spider-Man grow up and have a family. 

You all know how I feel about this because Spider-Man has been handled terribly by Marvel Comics, like they had the character sell his marriage to the devil just to make him single again. Yet the writers make Peter Parker into a man-child; how is he relatable? If anything, we need to see this character grow up, and they need to restore his marriage to Mary Jane and even have kids. Ultimate Spider-Man gave us that, and it's sad Marvel ended it, because that should also have been in the mainstream comics.

2. Marvel needs to stop relaunching and retconning for the sake of pandering. 

I swear, every once in a while, Marvel relaunches a title; like, a good example is Captain Marvel. That character has had so many relaunches it gets to the point the character doesn't sell. The only way to have the character sell is to hire a good writer and maybe have her go back to her old costume and make her likeable again, like she once was before Kelly Sue came. Lets face it fans hated her when she killed Iron Man and got away with it and she's been made leader of the Avengers and the relaunch Avengers title in November she likely the leader of that team. To be honest, I get Marvel wants her to be the Wonder Woman of their universe, but it's not her; if anything, that's Storm from X-Men. She's the Wonder Woman of Marvel comics, or if you needed a great leader for the Avengers, it should have been Wasp, Black Widow, or Photon because they have led the Avengers and they are great leaders and inspiring. Hell, Wasp even named the Avengers. 

As well, Marvel keeps retconning stuff where it doesn't need to be retconned, like Thor's mother is the Phoenix Force; I hate that shit. Mystique is Nightcrawler's father doesn't make sense; Thor is the title, not God of Thunder; Steve and Bucky grew up together; like, these retcons aren't needed. You should have kept the continuity the way it was. I get that some retcons are good, and I can see why the retcon is there: it was bad storytelling. Like, I remember when DC retconned Roy Harper and removed the heroin addiction and the death of his daughter storylines, and I get it. If you ask me, Marvel should retcon bad storylines, that ruined a character not stuff that didn't need to be retconned. One More Day and HYDRA Cap should be retconned; those are events that need to be retconned.  

1. They don't hire good writers anymore; they hire activists or non fans. 

This is another thing: while DC has great writers like Scott Snyder, Matt Fraction, and many more, some of them are bad, but you know what I mean. DC hires good writers, while Marvel doesn't. Zeb Wells' Spider-Man run was terrible, and it made me quit Spider-Man comics. Also, the whole Death of Ms. Marvel was pointless because she comes back, and it was just to make her into a mutant for the sake of the MCU. As well, other writers just character-assassinate characters we know and love; it's like how I felt about Ta-Nehisi Coates's Captain America run of Cap. I hated Nick Spencer's HYDRA Cap storyline because that came off as an insult to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, and Christopher Cantwell's Iron Man were Hellcat is the worse co-lead because nowdays every marvel comic or film has a forced co-lead. Marvel needs writers who love these characters and aren't pushing an agenda or pandering. Just give us stories of our heroes not giving up and fighting to save the day. Marvel needs to hire actual good writers, and it doesn't matter who they are as long as they can tell a great story and are a good fit for this particular character. 

So those five problems that Marvel has and heres how I would fix it. 

5. Cut back on the major events.

Like I wrote before Marvel needs to cutback on the events because there are too many events now a days. Every year we get a new event that will change the universe or kill off a certain character but they will be dead for a year or two they are back. I would say just do one event every two to three years. Like create one marvel event that involves and then don't another event for about two to three years unless it's really cool storyline that will sale crazy. I think Marvel just needs to focus on their characters own storylines and events we don't need to make it huge deal unless it's a good storyline. 

4. Cut back relaunches and variant covers. 

This is another problem: cut back on relaunching every major title, like just going back to number one. Stay focused on the title you are on; like, if I were in charge of Marvel, I would do one last relaunch for a fresh reset/reboot. As well, variant covers: there are too many covers where it's ridiculous; like, come on, just have one cover or two, and that's it. 

3. No more heroes with the same name. We don't need two or three versions of that character. 

This is another thing Marvel Comics has stopped with this trope; like, we need to have one version of that character. For example, Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and he is Spider-Man. Now, I love Miles Morales, and I love the Spider-Verse films, but he is his own character, and he should have his own name and rogues' gallery, not just Spider-Man's. However, we have gotten so many Spider-Men besides Miles: Ben Reilly, Kaine Parker, and Miguel O'Hara. There are so many variants of that character; it just gets annoying. As well, Thor: when they retconned and revealed that title is Thor not God of Thunder, that was bad writing. Jane Foster becomes Thor, and she's already better than him for no reason; that's not good writing of someone just being great without any training. As well, Wolverine and Daredevil: both Laura and Elektra take over the mantles, and they kept those mantles even after Logan and Matt return to the mantles. I think what they should have done was just give Elektra and Laura their own identities. They did with Laura, and they called her Talon, but she was killed by Sabretooth, and a clone of her is calling herself Wolverine or something. Same thing with Sam Wilson. I love the character, but I think they need to make him Falcon again because there are too many copycats of these characters; they need to stand out as their own character, not just taking over the mantle of someone for the sake of pandering. One thing I would do is give these characters their own comic title with good writers. I would have Sam return as Falcon, and he would be the leader of the Uncanny Avengers. Elektra would be Elektra again. Laura would be Talon, not Wolverine, and Miles would call himself Spidey until Peter ever steps down, and then he would call himself Spider-Man. We need to give these characters their own series; they stand out as themselves and create their own legacy, rather than carrying on someone else's, unless the storyline is well written. These are great characters but we need to see them stand out with their own identities.  

2. Retcon bad storylines not good ones or character arcs that didn't need changing. 

Now, as I wrote before, Marvel keeps retconning storylines or character arcs that don't need to be rewritten because there was nothing wrong with them. They need to instead listen to the fans and retcon events that divided fans and caused them to lose interest in reading. A good example is One More Day; this event killed the Spider-Man fan base, and Joe Quesada, to this day, still defends One More Day and says that without it, we never would have gotten certain Spider-Man storylines like Spider-Verse if he was still married. Which is ridiculous because you could have done those storylines even if Peter was married with kids. I would retcon One More Day, restore Peter Parker's marriage, and give him a family because fans relate to Peter when he doesn't give up, not to being a man-child like Marvel editors want him to be. As well, take Ultimate Peter Parker and merge him with the mainstream Peter Parker, and Ultimate Peter's family is now in the mainstream, just like Miles was after Secret Wars. As well, I would retcon the Mary Jane-as-Venom storyline and Paul. If fans prefer a single Spider-Man, just focus on Miles Morales, Kaine Parker, and Ben Reilly, or create an alternative universe where Peter Parker is single for the people who don't like him married. I would also retcon events like Civil War 2, Original Sin, Secret Empire, Shadowland, and Fear Itself, and I would make Marvel comics stop trying to be the MCU and keep them the way the original creators did. Also, I would retcon Thor's mother being the phoenix, Nightcrawler's parentage, Iron Man being adopted, HYDRA Cap, the Karoka Era, and the From the Ashes X-Men eras, and make God of Thunder the title again not Thor's name. 

1. I would clear house and hire writers who are story and character driven. 

I would start fresh and hire new writers who are fans of these characters and want to see them done right. That's one thing I would do: hire writers like good writers who are story-driven, character-driven, who respect these characters and don't character-assassinate them, and have inspiring messages that inspire everyone. I would also make sure these writers are qualified to write certain characters, like the most popular ones, because I want to make sure they know to respect the characters and the fans. For example, I would get my cousin to write Daredevil because he's a big fan. I would keep some writers and artists at Marvel Comics, let go of the some will I just feel aren't doing a good job; I would make sure the cover art is great, and the artwork is, too. That's the one thing I focus on is just publishing great stories with great art were superheroes fight to protect the innocent and inspire everyone to be the best they can be. That's all we want to see is good stories again that will keep us reading for a long time.  

So that's how I would fix Marvel Comics. 

The news of them leaving New York for LA is concerning because that could be a bad sign, but who knows? Maybe the new editor-in-chief will do a good job, because I feel like they will announce something soon, depending on whether it's good news or bad news. 

Avengers Doomsday Trailer thoughts

 

Avengers Doomsday Trailer Thoughts

So I saw the Avengers Doomsday trailer, and I have to be honest, this does look good, but sadly there was no real hype or build-up to this film. The trailer has Thor narrate it, and it's clear they are going back to serious Thor. We see the X-Men, and I love seeing Cyclops. We see the Fantastic 4 appear, and a few other characters are back, and Steve Rogers is back too. Steve is also the main character of the film apparently. Now there are leaks about this film, and some of them may be true. Now Dr. Doom does look great, and his fight with Thor looks intense. There was no real hype build up for this film unlike Infinity War but who knows maybe this film will deliver but if you ask me after Secret Wars they need a full reset like recast everyone and hire new writers and I think Kevin does need to step down but I understand that making X-Men after Secret Wars is a dream project of his so I respect he wants to stick around more. So I think Doomsday has potential, but we will just have to wait and see if it's good or not. 

The Odyssey Review Some Spoilers

 

The Odyssey Review

So I saw The Odyssey, and here's my review. I loved it; I had a good time with this film, but I do get why some die-hard Greek mythology fans may not like some of the changes to Homer's Odyssey. There are a lot of changes to the story, and hey, this has been adapted for centuries, so anyone can make any change they want, but some of the changes felt kind of forced or weird like the dialogue.

Now, the film had some great stuff, like the cyclops puppet was one of the best things, and there are a lot of jump scares in this film. Now the film does have good effects and sound effects too. Like, the Cyclops was incredible; I love how they made a puppet rather than CGI.

Now, the film, as we know it, is about Odysseus trying to return home to Ithaca, and he goes through so much hell to do so. He also reflects on the war at Troy. The film is also about his wife and son, who are waiting for him to return, while the suitors want to marry Penelope. We all know the story, so there are spoilers in this review, but this story has been around since B.C. However, I'm not big on them cutting the main reason Odysseus didn't make a sacrifice to the gods: he didn't thank them because he came up with the idea of the Trojan horse without their help. They cut that part out and a whole bunch of other stuff, but I get it for time's sake. 

The film's cast all did a great job; like Matt Damon was great, and honestly, if they made a Dark Knight Returns film, he would be perfect for Green Arrow. Anna Hathaway was great; Tom Holland was great too; Jon Bernthal was great; Zendaya was great; Himesh Patel was great; John Leguizamo was great too in this film; and everyone else was great too. Also, Robert Pattinson as the villain was great; he did a great job playing the bad guy. Like, you want this guy to get his ass kicked because he's so evil in this film. 

The action scenes in the film are great like there are some great sword fighting, action scenes, the monsters in the film were scary, there was some epic moments, the sound effects were great, and again the Cyclops was great and the sack of Troy was great too, but I will say the dialogue was too modern a bit and some changes they made into the story were kind of weird and forced like Circe the sorcereress is suppose to be beautiful and evil but now she's more victim of trauma and also there is a lot they cut from that part of the story which I get and there are other gods that appear in the story but they don't physically appear in the film but as forces of nature. Except for Athena. Also, when Circe turns Odysseus’s men into pigs, it’s very disturbing. 

However, I still like the film despite some issues. It was an epic film, and the climax of the film is awesome- the best moment in the whole film. Honestly, Matt Damon is so bad ass in the ending.

Also, Odysseus' dog is in the film, and I will give people a heads-up: John Leguizamo throws a puppy off a cliff, so yeah, you won't like it, but John's character is one of the best in the film. Still, the dog in this film gets kicked, and you feel anger towards the suitors because no one should abuse a dog, especially one who is 20 years old and waiting for his master.

Helen of Troy appears in the film for only seven minutes. Still, Lupita did a great job as Helen and Clytmnestra. Also, Lupita once said that if she could meet Homer, she would criticize his work, and I would tell her that Homer did write from the point of view of his female characters like Penelope, Andromache, and the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, Athena and Thetis in his works. Also, she should look up more Greek stories, such as that of Atalanta the Huntress, a woman who fought her suitors to keep her independence.

I'm just saying she needs to read more of her Greek Mythology. 

As well, I find it funny that Helen apologizes to Telemachus for Troy, and I'm like, you and Paris caused the deaths of so many innocents, and you're the reason Telemachus never knew his father for ten years. Saying sorry isn't enough, but they do try to make it out that her husband Agamemnon's fault, and hey, people write their own take on who was more to blame for Troy's downfall. As well, her sister killed Agamemnon, but had she not, he would never have warned Odysseus to keep a low profile until he was ready to reveal himself upon his return home. As well, they cut Agamemnon and Clytemnestra's son from the film too, as he later avenges his father's death from her and her lover Menelaus. Yeah I know I'm going into the mythology details but hey I love mythologies. 

Overall, The Odyssey was a great film, and I did have a great time with it. I mean, there is some stuff that they changed. I know die-hard Greek Mythology fans won't like some of these changes, and I get it, but remember these stories have been around for centuries; anyone can tell any version or updated version if they want. I give this film a 9 out of 10. It is a great film and one of Nolan's best works like you can't go wrong with Christopher Nolan.  

However, it's not the best Odyssey adaptation; the best ones are.

The Simpsons and of course Wishbone.

 

 

The Invite Review

 

The Invite Review

So I saw The Invite, and here's my review. I loved it; this film was funny, but there were awkward moments. It's basically about a couple who plan a double date with another couple, but everything gets awkward, and their dinner doesn't go as planned. This film also dives into relationships, sex life, and wanting to have something, but it never happened. The film's cast did a great job; Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton, and Penelope Cruz were all great, and the film has only them. I did enjoy this film a lot; it had many funny moments and some sad ones, too. I give this film an 8 out of 10. 

Wheel of Time Animated Series Fan Cast

 

My Wheel of Time Animated Fan Cast.

As we all know, last year they announced they would be rebooting The Wheel of Time as an animated series. Which I think is a great move, so I'm going to do a fan cast for an animated Wheel of Time series.

Now, I will say I do like that they got the Arcane writers to make the show, and I hope the animation is in the same style as the comics. But first, here is my fan cast. I did like the live-action cast, so I'm down to bring some of them back. 

Now I do feel like the actors from the live-action show should get a second chance to voice their characters, but it's likely the animated show will recast everyone. If I were to keep some of the live-action actors, it would be Josha Starkoski as Rand, Donal Finn as Mat, Marcus Ruthford as Perrin, Madeleine Madden as Egwene, Zoe Robbins as Nynaeve, Daniel Henney as A'Lan Manadragon, and Hammed Animashaun as Loial. Now for the cast of the animated series.

Full credit to the artists of these character designs.

Cameron Monaghan as Rand Al'Thor 

Edward Bluemel as Mat 

Alex Jordan as Perrin 

Claudia Black as Moiraine 

Michaela Jill Murphy as Egwene 

Zehra Fazal as Nynaeve

Karl Urban as A'Lan Mandragon 

Khary Payton as Loial 

Simon Pegg as Thom Merrilin 

Malese Jow as Min Fairshaw 

Kiernan Shipka as Elayne Trakand 

Mae Whitman as Aviendna 

George Newbern as Tam Al Thor 

Toks Olagundoye as Siuan 

Ray Chase as Galad 

Thuso Mbedu as Tuon 

Toru Uchikado as Mazrum Taim 

Alejandra Reynoso as Falie 

Theo James as Logain Ablar 

Steve Blum as Bayle Domon 

Janet Varney as Birgitte 

Phil LaMarr as Uno 

Jennifer Hale as Morgase 

Clancy Brown as Gareth 

Jesse McCarthy as Gawyn Trakand 

Fiona Shaw as Cadsuane 

Kathy Najimy as Verin 

Kevin Michael Richardson as Gaidal Cain 

Michael C Hall as Ismanel 

Shantel VanSanten as Lanfear 

Adam Croasdell as Asmodean 

Cary Elwes as Belal 

Michael Cudlitz as Sammael 

Cree Summer as Semirhage 

Grey Delisle as Moghedien

Tara Strong as Mesana 

Jessica Brown Findlay as Garendal 

Mark Hamil as Aginor 

JP Karliak as Balthamel 

Ramon Tikaram as Ravin 

Jaime Murray as Elaida 

So that's my cast for the Wheel of Time Animated series let me know what you think.