Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
- Sunday, August 10, 2014
I already hate writing this review. Not because it's about something I dislike, but because it's about something I like coming to an end. Sort of. Moon Knight #6 marks two conclusions: first, it's the end of the current creative team's run on the book. As I announced back in my review of issue #4, Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood are replacing Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey respectively with Jordie Bellaire remaining as the book's colorist. It's sad to see the change-up after such an astounding run, but, hopefully, the next team can keep the pace the last one set.
Second, the book marks the end of an overarching story arc. But wait, you say, wasn't every issue written as one-shot stories? Yes, so we were led to believe, but Ellis pulls a fast one with issue #6 and reveals to us the one unifying thread that he cleverly wove into the first issue: an unassuming beat cop who would go on to become another pitiful rogue in Moon Knight's gallery.
When I first read Moon Knight #1, I surmised that the plot about Marc being inhabited by the spirit of Khonshu was going to be the series' overarching story. Since then, though, Ellis never revisited that point. I assume Wood will be picking up those pieces soon when he begins his run. Instead, Ellis cleverly planted seeds that would finally bloom in his final issue, the roots of which connect almost every issue in between. It was a clever move—one nobody would have seen coming from a mile away.
My favorite part of what is being hailed as the creative team's swan song of the series is Ellis' attentiveness to the hero's history—something that I've praised time and again in almost every review. Until now, only one character from Moon Knight's supporting cast had made an appearance in the new series with next to nothing in terms of explanation as to why Marc's most important confidantes are missing. Ellis finally appeases the long-time Moon Knight fans with special guest appearances by Marc's long-time off-and-on again romantic interest, Marlene Alraune-Fontaine, and old mercenary buddy and mooncopter pilot, Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp. This also offers explanations as to why Moon Knight has, thus far, led a largely solo operation.
The reason behind Moon Knight's loneliness plays well into the rise of this issue's new nemesis: the Black Spectre. The name is a familiar one to any seasoned Moon Knight fan who remembers the villain and his alter ego, Carson Knowles. He was once a mayoral aspirant who took a wrong turn and became one of Moon Knight's signature foes. Knowles was killed when Moon Knight pushed him from atop a building before he could activate a swarm of nanites to control a crowd of would-be admirers below at the conclusion of Moon Knight: God and Country in 2008. So who is the new Black Spectre? You'll just have to read the comic to find out!
Shalvey gives it one last and glorious hurrah with this issue, proving once and for all that he and Bellaire are an artistic duo of epic proportions. The scenes leading up to the final battle are swathed in appropriately moody inks and mundane colors, all culminating into a fiery blaze as this creative team goes out with a bang. As an extra special treat, readers are treated to a 4-page preview of issue #7—Wood and Smallwood's debut—which does not disappoint (at least, it doesn't disappoint me).
Moon Knight #6 gets 5 stars out of 5 for both the writing and art. Ellis and Shalvey go out guns blazing while Wood and Smallwood sneak in with confidence and promise. I urge anyone who is reading this series not to drop the book after this issue, as I'm sadly seeing many profess to doing after the nearly-perfect first six issues. Let's not kill something good even if it's changing hands; instead, let's celebrate a fresh take with open minds and a fan's appreciation for all things Moon Knight.
Loved this issue? What are your expectations for Moon Knight "Season 2"? Let us know in the comments section below, and follow Fanboys Anonymous for more Moon Knight reviews!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Saturday, August 9, 2014
On episode 5 of the Fanboys Anonymous Reviewpoint podcast, the panel reviews the new rebooted version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, breaking down not only what worked in the film (Hit) as well as what didn't (Miss).
Hosted by Tony Mango along with Mike Paden and Sam Lascio.
You can check out the podcast below on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
Unknown
- Friday, August 8, 2014
Last year, I set out in search of inspiration. I needed something, anything to help me overcome this huge case of writer's block. I was sick of listening to music that felt, for lack of a better word, industrialized. Everything on my playlist sounded the same—all engineered in the same pretty package.
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| Left to Right: Keller, Antelman, Camacho. (Credit: Dirk Mai) |
After a random search online, I came across "Back to Bed," a song off of Lydia's latest album entitled Devil. It was love at first note; each song has its own style with soulful lyrics and influential music. It's safe to say that my writer's block became non-existent after that album.
Indie rock band Lydia consists of members Leighton Antelman, Matt Keller, and Justin Camacho. Though the members have been shaken up a bit over the years, the band has actually been around since 2003. Each one of their releases is uniquely diverse. Which I love because it shows that the group can explore their creativity without complying to certain molds. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing their front man, Antelman, with some pretty off-the-wall Fangirl questions as well as finding out what the band has planned for the upcoming year.
Fanboys Anonymous: You're going to be on tour in the UK later this year. Excited? In the movie, The World's End, the characters go on this pub crawl called "The Golden Mile." Any plans on creating your own golden mile while visiting?
Antelman: Sure, I'd love to. I've never seen that movie but how can you go wrong with a pub crawl?
FA: Would you rather have a wand or light saber?
Antelman: Never was much of a Star Wars fan and haven't seen any of the Harry Potter movies. I guess I'm a horrible person.
(No, not horrible, but the Trekkies may be looking to recruit you now.)
FA: It's been over a year since Devil came out, and I heard you were working on a new album. What can fans expect? Anything different—a new sound perhaps?
Antelman: Si, we are in fact writing a new album at the moment. To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect. Turns out better that way. You shouldn't go in trying to write a certain sound or song.
FA: Do you consider yourself a Fanboy of anything?
Antelman: I'm a pretty big fan of Black Jack + Whiskey.
FA: What is the most interesting thing you have learned while touring other countries?
Antelman: Australians are nuts! In a good way.
FA: Do you have any other projects outside of Lydia right now?
Antelman: I am releasing my second album with the project I sing on called The Cinema this summer. We have been working on it for almost 2 years now off-and-on, and I'm really excited to finally get it out.
FA: What is your favorite TV show of all time?
Antelman: I think it's got to either be Breaking Bad or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
FA: Do you play any video games? If so, what are you playing right now?
Antelman: I've just recently got into playing online with a a friend of mine on the other side of the US. You can go through levels and blow shit up with someone 3,000 miles away, it's remarkable. I've never been much of a gamer but it's quite fun. We been playing Army of Two as of late.
FA: If you could sum up your entire music career with just one song, what song would you pick?
Antelman: I'm not sure if you mean a song of my own or just a song in general…but let's go with in general. I'd say off the top my head "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.
FA: On a perfect day, you would like to be found…
Antelman: Being happy somewhere. The method doesn't matter.
I was super excited to get to ask him my questions, and I can't wait until their new album! I hope you all will check out Lydia's music, and if you are in the United Kingdom be sure to check out a show. Be looking out for my next interview with a cast member Studio C. Please take a moment to share your thoughts with Fanboys Anonymous in the comments section.What do you think of their music?
Posted by
Unknown
- Thursday, August 7, 2014
The 80s was the best decade ever for pop culture media. The fact that we've had a bunch of remakes from some of the best films of the decade occur recently is proof of its enduring popularity. The latest one that was set to be unleashed upon the 21st Century is The Monster Squad. When I first heard about this I was excited because it is one of my favorite comedy horror films of all time.
The problem is, this intended remake is now dead and buried, much like the Frankenstein's Monster that starred in the original. Platinum Dunes' producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller recently announced they are no longer working on remaking The Monster Squad for a new generation. Bummer. Yet this same company is planning another entry in The Friday the 13th series. I like that franchise but the remake from '09 was crap.
So why the change in plans? I have no idea. Form and Fuller didn't say. I'm disappointed in this news because I love The Monster Squad so much. It's a fun, light hearted homage to the classic monsters of Universal's run during the 30s, 40s, and 50s. It was a smart film too, combining the comedy and horror well while updating the classic stories for an 80s audience. I love the interactions with the characters. The cop father and his partner were great together, they had a smooth chemistry and the overall simplicity of the story was well done; a bunch of kids have to band together to stop monsters invading their town. That's it. It was pitched as Ghostbusters meets The Goonies and fits that well.
What made it so fun for me as a kid was the idea that these kids, who created their club of monster fighters, were just like me. I imagined myself in their place, battling with Dracula and kicking Wolfman in the nards. They were also smart enough to place Frankenstein in the role of a tragic hero, since that was present in the original novel, and he becomes a very sympathetic character in this film. This is a fine movie and could have been a great remake.
I suppose maybe Platinum Dunes believes today's world is not the right environment for this kind of story anymore because it's not dark and gritty enough. The Monster Squad did not do well at the box office upon release, but like many cult films, it found a home on cable outlets and home video, building an audience of fans all over the world. Maybe once Universal's plans to reboot their stable of monsters come into being this remake will come back into focus.
So was anyone looking forward to this? Was anyone even aware of the possibility of a Monster Squad remake? Sound off below.
Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the Fanboys out there.
MOVIES
DC Has 10 Movie Release Dates.
My take: This is hot off the press today, so I don't have a lot of details. DC seems to be calling everyone's bluff and now has movie release dates booked through 2020. Launching into a series of films was something Marvel was able to do only after the huge success of Iron Man, and DC hasn't had that yet. Man of Steel was met with a lukewarm reaction and only the hype of its so-called sequel is driving their plans forward. If this movie doesn't turn things around, DC/WB will be stuck with a movie franchise in need of another reboot before it's even truly begun. Speaking of which....
Sony Announces Female Superhero Movies.
My take: Over at Marvel, they're getting a lot of heat for taking so long to feature Black Widow in her own film. With excuse after excuse, Sony is jumping on the bandwagon of public shaming. They technically have access to other Spider-related characters, such as Spider-Woman and The Black Cat, and have announced their intentions to give them their own movies. This is bad news for fans of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise as their plans continue to zig-zag on just which direction to go. That being said, I'm far more excited for female-lead films than I am for The Sinister Six and Venom.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a Hit.
My take: Most of us saw this coming a mile away. Without the same story restrictions as other Marvel films, this was destined to be a fun movie. It has passed $100million and has an approximate 44% female fanbase.
The Fantastic Four is in Pre-Production.
My take: Sony is already planning a sequel to this upcoming reboot and I couldn't be less excited. As these movies continue to be made by studios that aren't Marvel, we're losing out on some great stories and character interaction. Although I'm curious to see what they've done, these movies will always feel limited when compared to the full world that Marvel is creating.
TELEVISION
The Office Movie.
My take: Ricky Gervais will be doing a movie follow-up to the original UK series set 15 years after the final, special episode. The fans of the UK and US versions are split, but I certainly appreciate the UK series, both for it being the original series, and also for knowing when to quit.
Scream TV?
My take: I wasn't aware this film franchise was coming to MTV as a series, but I'm sure not interested. I liked the first film and hated every sequel they offered. Is this series going to be tongue-in-cheek comedy or is MTV looking for its own True Detective?
Young Justice / Teen Titans Go! Crossover?
My take: With DC constantly playing with alternate universe ideas with their huge push on the multiverse, I guess it should come as no surprise when it creeps into animation. I'm not sure exactly how they're going to pull off a believable mix of the drama-focused teens with the comedy-focused teens but it will certainly get my eyeballs.
VIDEO GAMES
Destiny Limited Edition Pre-Order Sold Out.
My take: Copies are showing up on Ebay for up to $1000, and this game had better deliver on the hype. After the huge sales numbers for recent games like Titanfall and Grand Theft Auto V, I think video game release days will soon make movie premieres seem like childish events. I think this game looks way too much like Mass Effect, so it had better have some pretty unique weapons, gameplay, and backstory to impress this old curmudgeon.
Grand Theft Auto V Sales Continue.
My take: Speaking of which, this game just passed 34 million copies and it hasn't even come out on PC, PS4 or Xbox One yet. It came out last September and keeps on selling. The sales numbers, if you do the math, surpass those of the biggest movie blockbusters: Easily in the billion dollar zone after less than a year. As awesome as the recent rash of superhero movies has been, someone (possibly DC) is going to take over this industry soon in that market. If Marvel owns the theatres, DC should look at owning the console wars.
CELEBRITIES
In a campaign I can really get behind, visit the petition page to have Weird Al Yankovic headline the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show. His recent album Mandatory Fun hit #1 on Billboard and he deserves this time in the spotlight. He's gained popularity in recent years, and you may not realize he's been doing this since the early '80s. I have several of his original cassette tapes, because yes, I'm that old.
Watch out for this segment each and every Wednesday. We'll see you next week!
Did we miss something? What are your thoughts on these topics?
Leave us a comment below!
When I first read Moon Knight #1, I surmised that the plot about Marc being inhabited by the spirit of Khonshu was going to be the series' overarching story. Since then, though, Ellis never revisited that point. I assume Wood will be picking up those pieces soon when he begins his run. Instead, Ellis cleverly planted seeds that would finally bloom in his final issue, the roots of which connect almost every issue in between. It was a clever move—one nobody would have seen coming from a mile away.
The reason behind Moon Knight's loneliness plays well into the rise of this issue's new nemesis: the Black Spectre. The name is a familiar one to any seasoned Moon Knight fan who remembers the villain and his alter ego, Carson Knowles. He was once a mayoral aspirant who took a wrong turn and became one of Moon Knight's signature foes. Knowles was killed when Moon Knight pushed him from atop a building before he could activate a swarm of nanites to control a crowd of would-be admirers below at the conclusion of Moon Knight: God and Country in 2008. So who is the new Black Spectre? You'll just have to read the comic to find out!
