Posted by
The Dace Man
- Tuesday, February 18, 2014
It's that time of week again! Yours truly, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, is back with another review and synopsis of AMC's horror drama, The Walking Dead!
Last week we found ourselves following the aftermath of the prison war. The gang as we had grown to know in season two and three split up in to smaller groups and on their own. The mid-season premier picked up with a beaten and battered Rick Grimes with his son Carl journeying away from the prison. The episode also dived into the history and deeper emotions of Michonne. The three converge at a house by the end of the episode but only after an emotional roller coaster of a journey for the two parties. Now that episode nine is in the books, we look ahead to episode 10. With many questions still on our minds, we only have some resolutions for three of the main cast members. Who will we encounter this week? Will it be as emotionally gripping as last week's episode? Will there be shocking deaths that occurred off camera during the skirmish between the Governor and Rick?
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 4, EPISODE 10: "Inmates."
We kick of this week's episode with voice-over work from the beautiful Emily Kinney, and see Daryl and Beth running through the woods from the prison away from walkers. Beth's voice-over explains the past few months while at the prison, which echoes a transition from fear to hope as the images shown explain a reversed transition. Daryl and her collapse in the field from running, ending the voice-over on a very optimistic note of hope. Cue that infamous intro music and roll into the main title!
Back from the first round of commercials, and we see Daryl and Beth around a camp fire. Beth is pleading a case to Daryl that they need to do something, to go find the others, and she is very eager to get moving. The thing I like most about these string of episodes following The Prison War is the fact that we will get to dive much further into characters we usually don't interact with much. The determination in Beth's voice as they start tracking others shows the character's growth from the girl we saw in season two trying to off herself. The interaction between Beth and Daryl is new to the show as well; up until this point, these two have had very little interaction. The two stumble upon two walker bodies and blood not belonging to them. After a scuffle with a walker, the two press on to railroad tracks, where they find the remains of their former bunk mates at the prison. At this point Beth breaks down and we cut to a night scene. There's another voice-over/journal entry of how she's not going to give up, and presses on in the memory of Herschel.
We return and this time we are following the sisters from The Shining, Tyrese, and the big reveal: baby Judith, who is very much alive. We find Tyrese playing daddy to three girls as he tries desperately to keep them safe, while Judith's crying concerns the creepy girls. There's a flock of birds that startles Mika and she runs into the woods. Tyrese and Lizzy pursue and catch up with her. Tyrese then hears screaming and he goes to check on it, leaving the girls by themselves with Judith. The brave Lizzie says they'll be fine; Mika, on the other hand, is scared out of her mind. Tyrese comes to the same railroad tracks Daryl and Beth found, but earlier than them, and tries to save two inmates caught by walkers. We cut back to the girls, where Lizzie is going psycho and holding her hand over Judith's mouth to quiet her crying. That girl is totally out of her mind. Tyrese fails to save the two inmates, but, much to his surprise, Carol returns with the girls. One of the inmates Tyrese failed to save tells the group to stick to the tracks. Carol explains to Tyrese she caught the end of the battle and lies to him about what transpired between her and Rick several episodes before. Following the tracks, they find a map with the word "Terminus" on it. Are we seeing the beginning of the Washington D.C. arc from the comics, or is this something completely out of right field? Time for commercials as we're half way through this week's episode!
Maggie, Bob, and Sasha take us into the next segment with Maggie sharpening a knife as Sasha tends to Bob's gunshot wound. Bob optimistically tells Sasha the others had to have made it. Maggie is hellbent on going to find Glenn and she takes off into the forest. Mr. Smiles (Bob) says they shouldn't split up, and Bob follows Maggie. When we cut to the next scene, Bob and Sasha argue over if they should be looking for Glenn or not. The three find the bus parked in the middle of the road—now filled with walkers. Maggie, just like the viewers, fears for the worst. They decide to let the walkers out of the bus to verify the dead and Maggie increases her kill count, bashing the head of, presumably, a girl she was jealous of. To her surprise, she finds no sign of Glenn among the dead, so she enters the bus. The music, her slow movements, the blood-soaked bus, and a mysterious figure crawling towards her lead the audience to assume the worst. They don't show a face, but judging by Maggie's reaction, it's not Glenn, so slow your rolls. If they stick to the comics, he's got a much worse fate coming down the line. Maniacal laugh, and now a commercial.
Now it's time for Glenn's story! We see Glenn at the prison working on his tan, which looks to be a very short time after the battle itself. Now our friend Glenn has himself in a sort of a pickle: the prison is completely overrun with walkers and he has nowhere to go but back into the prison, in the dark. Glenn returns to his cell block and decides to take a nap…just kidding, but he does lay down to gather himself for a few minutes. He finds a picture of Maggie and immediately turns into a girly man and breaks down in tears. D'aw, love. This, of course, renews his motivation and he grabs the essentials, like the pocket watch Herschel gave him. Note that at this point, there's no way Glenn could know about what the Governor did to Herschel, so his assumption of Herschel's death isn't as traumatic. Riot geared-up, Glenn jumps right into the horde, where he finds that one chick who was with the Governor sitting by herself within a fenced in area. Commercial!
We return to Glenn saving this girl's sorry ass. If you ask me, he's putting in some time if Maggie is dead so he can get some. After bombing a car, he and his new squeeze make a run for it, successfully escaping the prison. From this scene, we can see the prison is ridiculously over-swarmed. We learn from the girl that her sister was swarmed after shooting the Governor. She also drops the bomb on Glenn the way Herschel was killed. Glenn tells her that he needs her help to find his wife and then guilts the hell out of her even more. She hates herself, but when Glenn takes on a few walkers, she sees how weak he still is from the sickness. The last scene introduces Abraham and crew! YES! YES! YES! YES!
This episode tied up many loose ends from the mid-season finale as well as opened the doors to the future. Carol is back and we get the first look at Abraham and his crew from the comics. I, for one, am ecstatic and was yelling yes really, really loud. Time for a new chapter and time for some fun!
So see ya next week, walkers! As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until then, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and, in this case, riot gear—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
Dear Fanboys and Fangirls, it is with childish giggles and schoolgirl excitement that I present to you three new movie stills from James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy and news of where you can catch the debut trailer!
Word had it originally that the first full-length trailer was going to be released earlier on Tuesday, but I suppose the PR boffins decided it was best to get everybody to tune into Jimmy Kimmel Live, which starts at 11:35pm ET/PT. Because why use IMDb and Youtube when you can boost TV ratings, right?
Why should we tune in to Kimmel's show? Well, because apparently the trailer's going to come with a special Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) intro. Now go stock up on snacks!
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| We'll take the Spruce Moose! Hop in... I. Said. Hop. In! |
The synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy is also as follows, according to USA Today:
The movie teams five disparate personalities: Peter Quill (Pratt), aka Star-Lord, was taken from Earth as a 9-year-old, possesses a mysterious orb artifact and pilots the Milano, a muscle car of a spaceship. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is connected to Thanos, arguably the cosmos’ biggest baddie. Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) is a muscular dude you don’t want to upset. And then there are the aliens Rocket Raccoon and Groot (computer-generated characters voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively), who are best pals and potentially the biggest things to happen to pop culture since Chewbacca.
Their stories converge in the space prison Kyln. After the characters break out, they venture to Knowhere (the severed head of a celestial being that serves as a hangout for aliens) and visit the weird menagerie of the Collector (Benicio Del Toro). They also have to avoid two villains, Ronan (Lee Pace) and Nebula (Karen Gillan), who are in hot pursuit of Quill’s orb, which has the power to destroy the galaxy.
I'd also like to mention the other stars of Guardians of the Galaxy, which haven't had much mention. If you're a fan of James Gunn's work, they'll be instantly recognizable if you don't know them from anywhere else. John C.Reilly (Step Brothers, Wreck It Ralph) popped up in the original teaser trailer, which really is a surprise. We also have The Walking Dead's Michael Rooker (aka Merle Dixon), Gregg Henry (Slither's foul-mouthed town mayor), Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead and the voice of Darth Maul), Benicio Del Toro, and Glenn Close. There may or may not even be an unofficial Nathan Fillion contribution. Huge… heee-yoooge!
Sound off, Fanboys! Excited? How about these tasty new movie stills? Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Eddie Siqueira
- Monday, February 17, 2014
So the end begins. David Duchovny's misadventures in L.A. as Hank Moody will have lasted seven great fun-filled, tear-driven seasons as we get the last twelve episodes of Californication, starting April 13th, 2014. Since the series debuted in 2007, we have seen many raunchy and questionable antics from a wide variety of characters. Despite the show being an ode to sex, drugs and "rock 'n' writer's block," we got to experience the more humane and three-dimensional aspects of those characters. We comically saw the depravity of Los Angeles, the deromanticization of traditional moral values, the constant cheapening of drug abuse, how we cannot escape sex in this day and age—and still cried along with it all. (The Season 3 finale is my favorite moment in TV history.)
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| The cast together for the last script reads (Heather Graham, far right, will guest star). |
Duchovny brilliantly shed the skin of agent Fox Mulder. He did such a wonderful job that, as an X-Files fan, I was glad to see a more comical—albeit tortured—and optimistic performance, and never once thought of Gillian Anderson, Agent Skinner, or covert alien conspiracies (apart from one or two humorous references). Duchovny's co-stars are right up to par. Evan Handler and Pamela Adlon are the happy go-to couple, Charlie and Marcy Runkle, that Hank Moody and his longtime girlfriend Karen van der Beek (Natasha McElhone) confided in with no reservations. The dynamics of their interactions always alluded to a past in which the couples would double-date and share leisure time, while in the present we saw Hank Moody trying to find himself as his family broke away. Meanwhile, Charlie would parallel Hank in the series with his failing marriage to Marcy. In this aspect, the show flawlessly displays the nuances of true friendship, which is only cemented by going through difficult times.
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| Rob Lowe (seated left) and Duchovny: Lowe's character was one of the most memorable, not an easy feat in this show. |
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| Hank and Charlie |
The cornerstone of the show, however, was not the series of guest stars that added fuel to the flame, nor the soundtrack, nor the memorable rockstar dialog. Hank Moody, a New Yorker par excellence, would periodically get into trouble with mathematical regularity: sex with underaged psychopaths, altercations with the law, and entanglements with married women were skillfully brought in to further upset his struggle to reunite his family in California. In spite of all of this award-winning content, the true voice of brilliance that called out the show's Peter Pan complex in all its sincerity was Becca Moody, Hank and Karen's daughter.
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| "I look like an FBI agent." – Hank Moody |
Becca is played by Madeleine Martin, and it is quite the breakthrough role. Her character speaks direct truths in ways that, if said by an adult, would be downright pretentious and rude. As her character aged from being a teenager into adulthood by Season 5, this tether of conscience for Hank seemed to have disappeared as Becca became romantically involved with a disapproved-of boyfriend, distancing her from Hank. In Season 6 she is a college dropout interested in following in her father's footsteps, much to his chagrin.
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| Not only rock 'n' roll: hip hop superstar Samurai Apocalypse set a new tone for Season 5. |
We will enter Season 7 with one certainty: the show will return to its roots, even if temporarily. Charlie and Marcy got remarried in the Season 6 finale, meaning that once again Hank and Karen will look upon their friends with nostalgia. Will this be enough to join them together again, after so many near-misses? Becca is seemingly out of the picture for now, so how this dance will take place remains to be seen as the former lovers—who were never married—lack the shared responsibility of a daughter. Maybe this simplicity is what they needed. Or perhaps Hank will seek comfort elsewhere? Trixie, the successful lady of the night, did hint that if she were retired and Hank available, things could take off for them.
Apart from this, we will see what we have seen throughout every season. We will see the archetype of the modern man fighting against his own personal ghosts to reunite with the woman he knows is right for him. We will see the archetype of the modern woman trying to tie together what she wants with what she needs. Every great love story has a tragic end, though, and every love story with a happy ending is sappy science fiction. There is a reason people naively mutter the words, "I believe in happy endings," because that's what it is: a belief that things actually end well, when they end at all. I believe this love story will go on without a final dot and leave us wondering what truly could be. With this said, I hope to see the sappiest, most sugar-coated and honey-filled mother of all love-happy endings, because it's the only thing I will ever want more than sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll for Hank and Karen.
What do you guys want to see in Season 7? Should the suspense be maintained like I'm hoping, or do you want the fairy tale to become a modern bedtime TV story? Comment to keep the blog dream alive!
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
- Sunday, February 16, 2014
It is with great shock and sadness that Fanboys Anonymous reports the death of John Henson, the puppeteer son of legendary Muppets creator Jim Henson!
Henson, aged 48, reportedly died this Friday, February 14th, following a massive sudden heart attack while at home. He leaves behind two daughters, Katrina and Sydney, and his wife Gyongyi.
The sad news comes as a shock, despite the fact that John's father Jim—creator and founder of the Jim Henson Company, also credited with creating the characters of Sesame Street—died in 1990 at the relatively young age of 53. John, who played the ogre Sweetums from the late '80s to 2005, also went on to become a board member and shareholder of the Jim Henson Company, keeping the business in the family.
We wish John's family and friends all the best in this difficult time. John, of course, led a good life and was blessed with a father like Jim, and that's something to appreciate in spite of this huge loss. And for our devoted readers, we would like to send Mr. Henson on his merry way with a fond memory. Thank you for our childhoods!
Sound off, fanboys! What else can we say in the wake of this sad news? Comments below, and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
- Saturday, February 15, 2014
Recently, James Gunn, the director of Marvel's upcoming new epic sci-fi fantasy Guardians of the Galaxy, released a series of pics on Instagram and Twitter teasing the release of all-new Guardians toys from both LEGO and Hasbro!
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| "It was so dark, I can't quite remember if the mugger looked like a raccoon or a tree..." |
This seems to be coinciding with the release of the movie's official trailer early next week, as Gunn seems unable to contain his excitement. With Guardians of the Galaxy set to be released on August 1, 2014, I can't tell if this is a PR stunt to keep us teased and gather interest and momentum for the movie's release or if it's just James being James and going off the deep end.
Regardless, I'm impressed that both LEGO and Hasbro are in on the campaign already, because it shines with confidence, and why not? Marvel's latest big event seems to have a vibe about it that reminds me of all our '80s cartoon heroes such as He-Man and Thundercats, and that's something that could attract audiences older and younger. It isn't often such an ambitious sci-fi fantasy comes along with such high hopes, either.
First off, let's take a look at Hasbro's action figures, aptly titled Marvel Legends: Infinity Series (it's a Thanos thing!) and looking pretty neat. It doesn't tease much about the movie, if you've already done your homework and seen the teaser trailer. If there's anything Hasbro is great at, it's capturing likenesses. Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista are instantly recognizable as Star-Lord and Drax the Destroyer.
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| Although Bradley Cooper could use an afro comb. |
Onto the LEGO stuff, however, this is the real treat for Marvel fans, especially considering LEGO's inclusion of DC's Batman in their own movie. There is also the Marvel LEGO video game, of course. Guardians of the Galaxy is not only getting its own LEGO characters, but Star-Lord's Milano Spaceship also gets the LEGO treatment here, as does main villain Ronan the Accuser's own craft.
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| Note: Guardians of the Galaxy LEGO spaceships will not actually fly. |
It's also worth mentioning how coincidental it might seem that Guardians of the Galaxy's lead star, Chris Pratt, is the first to get his own LEGO character out of all the cast. Pratt also provided the voice to The LEGO Movie's central character Emmet Bricowoski. With the Parks & Recreation co-star also headed for Jurassic World in 2015, it looks like he's headed for huge success!
Sound off, Fanboys! Who's headed to the toy store later this year? Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
In recent news, the French have been busy making a documentary on Marvel's domination of Hollywood and the movie box office. Developed for the French television channel Canal+, Marvel Renaissance: How The Superheroes Have Conquered Hollywood will be a two-part series charting the past fifteen years of the comic brand titan, from its bankruptcy years right up to the present day where they are now producing the most popular comics and movies!
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| Hairy hand... Hairy Hand... does whatever an X-man can! |
In 2013 a French film crew led by directors Philippe Guedj and Philippe Roure began an epic adventure to interview some of Marvel's most influential people, including Jimmy Palmiotti (Ash, Painkiller Jane, Punisher), Mark Waid (Captain America, Fantastic Four) and Mark Millar (Ultimates, Kick Ass).
What resulted was not just a lengthy documentary on how Marvel overcame the bankruptcy incident and how their creative and business strategies from 2006 onward propelled them to never-before-experienced heights of success. What Marvel Renaissance also stands for is how, even after changing so much culturally in their many decades, the company has gone on to overcome adversities in Hollywood and to be accepted as not just a contender but an outright winner.
Marvel Renaissance: How The Superheroes Have Conquered Hollywood will be aired on Canal+ on March 7th, but with such a documentary catching the media's attention, don't be surprised if there's an English version to follow. In fact, you could even drop them a note on Facebook and demand one!
Here's the trailer for your viewing pleasure:
Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! This is serious watching for serious fans of Marvel. Call it heritage if you love your history, but I think everybody should have a chance to see this. What do you think? Comments below, don't forget to "Like" Marvel Renaissance's Facebook page and interact if you want to see this in future, and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
In a bold and courageous move last night, young actress Ellen Page came out as gay at the Human Rights Campaign-sponsored Time To Thrive conference for the LGBT community!
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| Ellen Page. |
The 26-year-old actress, one of the most beloved and respected young women of the movie industry today, with such credits beneath her belt as Juno, Hard Candy, Inception, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, came out to the conference audience during her speech, talking about not only the adversities faced by LGBT community members within the industry, but also the adversities in the personal lives of those people as a result of their unique individuality.
I've been a fan of Ellen Page since she caught my attention with Hard Candy, where she played opposite Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Insidious) as the vengeful friend of a suicide victim who terrorizes a pedophile within the confines of his own home. With that movie and then Juno, she's proved capable of delivering audiences to the cutting edge of cinema.
She's also proved to be quite the geek favorite with her sci-fi and comic book roles—Inception, X-Men, Super—and even had her likeness ripped for Ellie's character in the survival horror epic The Last Of Us. Lawsuit or not, we can't get enough of her, and it's safe to say that regardless of her coming out of the closet, this doesn't stop us loving us some Ellen Page.
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| She even makes tacky look hot. |
Fanboys Anonymous wishes Ellen a smooth ride back into Hollywood after her brave move last night, because, typically, that's bound to make some noise.
Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! What do you make of Ellen Page's statement? Do people really have that much growing up to do? I know the mainstream media does, but then they are paid to be ignorant. Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
- Friday, February 14, 2014
I've been a fan of the new Thunderbolts series since day one. Not everybody is; it has a little more than a cult following, but so much could be improved on. However, writer Charles Soule, who took over from Daniel Way after volume one, has been improving on the series, and so I keep reading. Today, Thunderbolts Infinity arrived in the mail, released only a few days back!
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| There's always time for a slice. |
The overall Thunderbolts series is a great little mix of action, espionage, paranoia, and surreal comedy that has the potential to be huge. It's the only comic book I've ever read where the heroes are definitely supposed to be heroes, only they all act like villains, and they all hate each other. It's the most sick and twisted comic version of The A-Team, only with a more terse character dynamic that could lead to betrayal at any turn. It already has, at almost every turn. That General Ross sure knows how to pick 'em.
Before I get into Thunderbolts Infinity, I want to make it clear why the series hasn't already become as successful as it could be. For a start, Way's establishment of the dynamic of the group was full of clichés and sometimes took liberties with the intelligence of readers. His Deadpool was great, but he was already accustomed to the character. Punisher, Red Hulk, Venom and Elektra were so flawed and inconsistent. However, for a debut, I found it enjoyable.
Also, in the beginning, Steve Dillon's artwork really seemed lazy and sometimes tacky. He can be great with the right people working on the colors and shades (read Garth Ennis's Marvel Knights Punisher volume, "Welcome Back, Frank"), but Thunderbolts looked like a kid's book when it should have looked more like an R-rated version of X-Force.
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| Like this! |
Right through this series we've been treated to brilliant cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco, while the artwork inside has been either average or lackluster (with the exception of panel artist Phil Noto). Infinity proves to be an equally mixed bag, in that respect.
In the opening scenes, we finally learn of Mercy's true nature and why Ross even has an entity on his team whose gag consists of immediately killing everybody in close proximity who wishes to die. The answer? He doesn't know how to kill her—it might not be possible—and he has nowhere secure enough to keep her locked away. As a result, he keeps her around as a final solution, despite understanding the severity of the consequences.
Venom confronts him about Mercy, prompting a flashback piece to as far back as when Ross was yet to become the Red Hulk. This sets an epic event in motion, answering questions and leading to even bigger questions. Are the Thunderbolts here to help Ross save the world from the bad guys, or to clean up the mess? I think both!
After the success of the Thunderbolts' previous mission, Ross also decides to cut the gang some slack. Since the beginning, he's been a total bastard, which eventually led to the Thunderbolts planning a coup against him. Although it failed, he is now trying to establish a greater sense of trust and respect, so he offers each member the chance to use the whole Thunderbolts team and all of the resources they have at their disposal to get a job done that they wouldn't be able to do alone outside of the team.
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| Click on picture for large view. |
First up is Punisher's mission: there's a New York mafia family he's never been able to get his hands on. Humorously, everybody is the extreme opposite of surprised. They roll on into New York City, where their mission awaits them. At this point, artist Jefte Palo takes over from Noto, and the Thunderbolts are suddenly reduced to virtually infantile stick-man drawings. Err…wait, this Jefte Palo?
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| Can't say I see a resemblance. |
If you can draw like this for Taskmaster, Palo, what exactly is your malfunction? Fans don't have the privilege of paying you what your work is genuinely worth. We all have to pay the same prices to read these comics, so suck it up, buttercup. This isn't a dummy run.
Moving swiftly on, what's hilarious is how easily the Thunderbolts find out where Frank's elusive mafia bosses are hiding, and that's where the fun in Soule's writing really comes out. Meanwhile, the Avengers seem to have left Earth in a hurry. What the Thunderbolts don't know, unlike us, is that a full-scale invasion of Manhattan is on the cards, courtesy of Thanos's army. Will they help the people of Manhattan and battle the invaders? Hahaha, no!
Instead, Punisher has stolen a bunker buster missile from when he last worked with Nick Fury, and is planning on blowing holes in things more relevant to his anti-mafia mission. He reminds me so much of Firefly's Jayne Cobb under Soule, only more well-spoken and intelligent. I approve; it suits the tone of the series, like when he strapped a landmine to his chest and threw himself at Madman. Even Deadpool thought that was a bit overkill.
Speak of the devil: since they got into Manhattan, Deadpool has had it with Frank's attitude and has gone on a personal journey to find pizza. Cue many trademark Deadpool revelations and mishaps as he gets lost inside his own head. This is Deadpool, through and through. He's not at his most funny, but he hits the mark at all the right moments. More to the point, this is videogame Deadpool, not animated movie Deadpool.
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| The tube. Quicker than calling a Quinjet! |
And, Boom! The invasion begins.While Red Hulk, Leader and Mercy hang back in the submarine, they are attacked by Supergiant and her forces, and Supergiant wants Leader's knowledge. Everything goes to hell. Red Hulk goes on a smash-a-thon, Leader is captured, Mercy goes berserk wiping out humans and aliens alike, and it is here that Red Hulk becomes desperate to find a solution to her. How does he kill her? How can he? Leader comes up with a clever little plan that even gets Ross smiling. I smiled too!
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| Jefte Palo; can draw a full-scale alien invasion, but not Thunderbolts! |
I haven't read Marvel's Infinity main event, yet. I don't know how it pans out and who helps to save the world from Thanos, but all I can tell you is that Red Hulk practically dominated the skies here while Mercy made Sentry's attack on Asgard in Siege look like child's play. If even they'd had Olivier Coipel on the artwork, this might have been as good as Siege. It's a moment that seems downplayed, as is Punisher, Elektra and Venom's massacre of almost every New York mafia family cornered inside their heavily fortified secret bunker.
There's some nice comic relief approaching the end of the war, which reminds me of that "shawarma scene" at the end of The Avengers. The team regroups and finds Deadpool, who found his pizza, and once again got under Punisher's skin without even trying. Our heartless heroes then move out of New York in Punisher's war wagon. Mercy is on the loose again and has to be stopped.
There's also a sort of bonus scene at the end, which gives us a glimpse into Leader's mind. But I won't spoil that little gem for you. The artwork changes again and Gabriel Hernandez Walta is quite a welcome end to Thunderbolts Infinity.
Overall, the writing was so much better in this volume, but as a fellow reader also pointed out, Venom is still so badly out of place and under-utilized at points that it begs the question, what is he doing here? He's supposed to be the moral center, but this group doesn't have the need or the patience for a moral center. They're doing the dirty work nobody else does. Just like Punisher himself, the group's moral lessons come at the cost of failures, not by being told the difference between right and wrong.
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| Or knowing how to find Disneyland without GPS. |
I also hope the artwork improves fast, because great stories aren't being made to look great. The art generally sucked, even more since Palo clearly used the project as a paid holiday. Like I said, it's not just distracting, it makes an epic story look abysmal in some instances. If it wasn't for Soule's epic New York battle, Deadpool's personal journey into the dark heart of pizza purgatory, and Punisher and Elektra's on-off horny-killer-couple relationship with all the funny little dilemmas thrown in, Palo would have ruined it.
I'd call this recommended reading, but not recommended viewing. Sound off if you've already read Thunderbolts Infinity and tell me what you thought in the comments section below. Thanks for reading.
We return and this time we are following the sisters from The Shining, Tyrese, and the big reveal: baby Judith, who is very much alive. We find Tyrese playing daddy to three girls as he tries desperately to keep them safe, while Judith's crying concerns the creepy girls. There's a flock of birds that startles Mika and she runs into the woods. Tyrese and Lizzy pursue and catch up with her. Tyrese then hears screaming and he goes to check on it, leaving the girls by themselves with Judith. The brave Lizzie says they'll be fine; Mika, on the other hand, is scared out of her mind. Tyrese comes to the same railroad tracks Daryl and Beth found, but earlier than them, and tries to save two inmates caught by walkers. We cut back to the girls, where Lizzie is going psycho and holding her hand over Judith's mouth to quiet her crying. That girl is totally out of her mind. Tyrese fails to save the two inmates, but, much to his surprise, Carol returns with the girls. One of the inmates Tyrese failed to save tells the group to stick to the tracks. Carol explains to Tyrese she caught the end of the battle and lies to him about what transpired between her and Rick several episodes before. Following the tracks, they find a map with the word "Terminus" on it. Are we seeing the beginning of the Washington D.C. arc from the comics, or is this something completely out of right field? Time for commercials as we're half way through this week's episode!
Maggie, Bob, and Sasha take us into the next segment with Maggie sharpening a knife as Sasha tends to Bob's gunshot wound. Bob optimistically tells Sasha the others had to have made it. Maggie is hellbent on going to find Glenn and she takes off into the forest. Mr. Smiles (Bob) says they shouldn't split up, and Bob follows Maggie. When we cut to the next scene, Bob and Sasha argue over if they should be looking for Glenn or not. The three find the bus parked in the middle of the road—now filled with walkers. Maggie, just like the viewers, fears for the worst. They decide to let the walkers out of the bus to verify the dead and Maggie increases her kill count, bashing the head of, presumably, a girl she was jealous of. To her surprise, she finds no sign of Glenn among the dead, so she enters the bus. The music, her slow movements, the blood-soaked bus, and a mysterious figure crawling towards her lead the audience to assume the worst. They don't show a face, but judging by Maggie's reaction, it's not Glenn, so slow your rolls. If they stick to the comics, he's got a much worse fate coming down the line. Maniacal laugh, and now a commercial.
