The Punisher . A far and away cry from the whimperingly underwhelming Iron Fist and the stilted gift wrap of The Defenders , Marvel and Netflix’s latest gift has been a return to origin. An indelible reminder on why this whole enterprise is even a good idea; why their stories told in this format matter. And, in that vein of intrigue, I can safely say that we don’t deserve this show. Marvel has taken the brilliantly unabashed high road in their unrepentant and heavy-handed close examination of the military code of conduct and the damage it really causes. The depths of vampiric mythology are exhumed through the life and lens of Frank Castle, because no matter how hard one may try, one can never beat story. And in all of the vampire tales - it is the monsters who make the monsters. Frank Castle is an ex-soldier. A war vet. Whose flickering candlelight of waning nobility landed him on the bad side of those whose flame had gone out entirely. So what do they do to protect th...

Is it possible to tell a love story that already happened? Let me tell you about the Obi-Wan Kenobi story that I   want to see. Fans of the Emmy award winning "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" series well remember the only onscreen portrayal of a romantic partner that Obi-Wan has ever had. A peace loving, Mandalorian Duchess by the name of Satine Kryze. During their brief arc, we are surprisingly informed that the pair have underlying feelings of affection, subtly subverting their relentless adherence to responsibility. To duty. Yet, it is only lightly teased at, leaving us unsure how deep this potential love devotion runs, until Obi-Wan says the one sentence that changed our perception of him forever. "Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order." That. I want to know about THAT Obi-Wan. Because the end of that arc was the murder of Satine Kryze at the tattooed hands of Darth Maul. I want to know how that Obi-Wan fell in love and what life i...

This was extremely fun to do. Note, I didn't create the chart- I just came across it and indulged. Batman (4$). Wonder Woman (2$- kind of insulting that she's 2 bucks). Professor X (3$). Flash (4$). Black Panther (2$- also insulting that he's 2 bucks). LAST STRIKE My squad is the team that goes in to finish the job. They don't bother with major showdowns or citywide grandstanding gestures- they are the magic bullet fired at the heart of any problem. Differing from the so called Suicide Squad, because they choose to play this role in service of good and so become capable of far more by virtue of intentional decision. Whether they are the first ones called in or the last, one thing is certain: there is no retaliation after they're through. Batman, in spite of his bloated and over scary reputation, is still quite a formidable detective. His ability to identify truths and spot anomalies, as well as recognize his own weaknesses and shortcomings is inval...

In a sentence? I'm here for it. Wait! Before you light the torches and level your pitchforks, let me diffuse a couple of things. I am well aware of how iconic a story "Flashpoint" is (and how it wasn't at all done justice on the DCTV iteration). This particular story is arguably Barry's most defining moment and it carries so much weight because of the depth of the journey it took to get there. Through the sizzling Shakespearean-esque tragedy, comes the ponderous lesson in growth and maturity; knowing when to let things lie. It's big. It's powerful. It hurts him. But he shines so brightly because of it and beneath the sacred banner of that hallowed light, we are granted the beautiful moment of friendship between Flash and Batman. This is an incredibly high mountain peak from which to launch this character's first big screen appearance. And it screams of lessons unlearned. I agree with the general DC Comics consensus. I don't think they ...

Title/Release: The Planetary Omnibus , 2014 Author: Warren Ellis Cover Art: John Cassaday and Laura Martin Page Count: 825 Easily the single best graphic novel I've read since Watchmen (the hitherto unrivaled classic by genius writer Alan Moore). As a lover of the written word- both as writer and as analyzer of writing- I have seen first hand the sheer difficulty it takes to write a single, unified narrative. That is- it takes work to write one self contained story that makes sense. Lots of work! There's a texturized attention to detail that's required, along with something like a nineteenth sense (a sixth sense simply won't do) on how exactly to bring that detail to coherent life on the page through the right words. Right words, right combination of words, right style... there are many places where it can fall apart. Which is why so many do. Especially when working with an ensemble tale (story covering the lives of multiple characters simultaneously). ...

I was on Facebook and came across a video shared by IGN, titled "What Writers Should Learn From Wonder Woman." You can watch it here . I found it very interesting. The narrator essentially postulates that superhero movies (translated here as "Marvel movies") more or less shy away from moments of significant poignance, by distracting us with what is known as "bathos." Bathos: A tonal switch, within the same moment, from serious to trivial for comedic effect His overall conclusion is that they don't trust their story and their moments, and that the cinema they produce is suffering because of it. Conversely, Wonder Woman adheres very tightly to its serious moments, providing a deeply set throughline of sincerity tangibly felt and experienced through the duration of the film. The 9 minute video was actually quite well done and I agree with all of the points regarding Wonder Woman. However, I do believe he missed it a bit on the Marvel side of...

"Batman: Gotham by Gaslight  was originally released by DC Comics in 1989. The story was written by Brian Augustyn, drawn by  Hellboy  creator Mike Mignola, and inked by P. Craig Russell.  Batman: Gotham by Gaslight  reimagines Batman as a Victorian era vigilante-detective investigating the serial killer Jack the Ripper. Here’s an official synopsis of the comic book's story: In an age of mystery and superstition, how would the people of Gotham react to a weird creature of the night, a bat-garbed vigilante feared by the guilty and the innocent alike? The very first Elseworlds tale re-imagines the Dark Knight detective in Victorian times and pits him against the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper." - via ComicBook.com Okay seriously? How AWESOME does that sound??  For those unfamiliar with the term "Elseworld Tale," it is essentially a story starring a character with an already established continuity, in a tale having absolutely nothing to do w...