2014 CBM Year in Review

It's been a damn good year for comic book media. Perhaps the biggest advances have been in the realm of television. Once the black sheep of the entertainment industry, TV is now the go-to for intricately plotted, nuanced and serialized drama. Add to that the continuing dominance of comic book movies and it's no surprise that countless properties continue to be optioned and adapted.

As such, frequent collaborator Brian Baer and I have come together to take a look back at the last year of comic book film and television. We have arranged them into our personal best and worst for each category. Enjoy!

Best Movie


The A-Holes

BAER: Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians is a cleverly designed pastiche of beloved popcorn adventure flicks from the 70s and 80s, updated with breathtaking visuals, a dedicated cast, a visionary director, an incredible soundtrack and a wicked sense of humor.

COLBY: X-Men: Days of Future Past
Those who know me, know of my obsessive love for the X-Men franchise. Who would have thought that the 7th film in the series would turn out to be such an intricately constructed and wonderfully realized way to bridge the branching narrative that had been established in past movies? Plus it provides the added bonus of wiping away past problems with the franchise. It was nuanced and beautifully shot and the love for the characters was obvious. And don't even get me started about that Quicksilver scene...

THE UNADAPTED: Criminal Macabre

**This edition of The Unadapted was written by novelist Andrew Prenger. He's covering my ass for being late with my post on Justice League: Mortal Part 2. Enjoy his look at Criminal Macabre, a comic I literally know nothing about.**

The most surprising thing about this title is that it technically started in 1990. So that means the main character, Cal McDonald, has been around for over 24 years. Yet most comic book readers would be at a loss to know anything about it. Were it on Jeopardy it would be the awkward question everyone quietly stared at their feet for until time ran out and Alex Trebek read the answer off his cue card.

PILOT LITE: Mid-season check-up.

This television season is nearing its mid point (when did mid-season finales become a thing? Seems recent to me) and as such a lot of shows are going on winter hiatus. Thus, it feels like a good time to check in and see how everything's progressing.

The Flash
I think this is the probably been the most consistent show in its first season. It quickly and easily established its tone in the pilot as well as the season-long storyline. There haven't been any major revelations or changes to the status quo as of yet, and that's fine. Arrow built up a pretty impressive world within its first couple of seasons. The Flash has taken that world and (literally) run with it. The introduction of Barry back in Arrow's second season kind of feels like the Nick Fury stinger scene in Iron Man, in retrospect. Now, we get to see how cool this newly expanded universe can be. The show skews a bit on the formulaic side for now, but its episodic nature only enhances the "comic-bookishness" of it for me. It's amazing how much more natural a "villain of the week" story can feel when said villains are culled from DC's long history of characters. Speaking of characters, the actors on this show do a hell of a job. Grant Gustin's Barry is just idealistic enough to be loveable but doesn't come off as naïve. Jesse L. Martin's Det. West has become the soul of the show as his mentorly relationship with Barry has progressed. And then there's Dr. Wells. Speculation has been rampant as to just what is motivating Tom Cavanagh's character. I guess we'll see.

Justice League: Mortal (2007 script) part 1

The League's core, circa 2006.

Back in 2007 DC had absolutely no idea what they were doing with their film properties. Nearly all of their characters were stuck in development hell and they had a serious lack of overall vision for any of their franchises. The sole exception was Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. So, with no idea how to sell any of their singular characters, DC decided to start at the top and work down in creating their cinematic universe. They'd start with the Justice League property and then spin-off individual films based on the heroes from there. All things considered, it's not a terrible approach. They would know what worked and what didn't before hundreds of millions were spent on a character that no one cared about (just think, they could have avoided Green Lantern had they taken this path). So, in 2007 they commissioned a script, hired George Miller as a director and assembled a cast for Justice League: Mortal, the film that almost was. This will be an in-depth, two-part look at the plot, cast, characters and circumstances around this film's inception and destruction. Also, I feel I need to add a spoiler warning...I guess. I dunno? Do you need spoiler warnings for unproduced screenplays?

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997 television series)

The recent theatrical adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got a fair amount of criticism from fans. Some justified, some not. Sure, it wasn't what most intelligent people would consider "good" but after reading some initial drafts, I can honestly say that it could have been much worse. Speaking of worse:

BEHOLD!

PILOT LITE: Constantine (2014 television pilot)

I am easily the biggest Hellblazer fan that I know. This isn't intended to sound like a boast, but I own John Constantine's first appearance in Swamp Thing, all 300 issues of the ongoing title and every single crossover, special, miniseries, guest-spot and novel that the Vertigo character has been featured in. Again, I'm not trying to brag (well, maybe a little), I just want you to understand the respect and reverence I have for this character.

CBM PROFILE: Thor

Marvel's God of Thunder doesn't have a whole lot in common with the original Asgardian hammer-wielder. Sure, the name and basics are the same but many of the specifics have been changed to create something almost entirely different that stands on its own. It's a testament to the talent of the people involved with his creation (and marketing!) that saying the name "Thor" conjures images of the comic character rather than his mythical basis to just about everyone (experts in Norse culture notwithstanding). And yet, it seems that it's only been recently that he's been given a whole lot of attention outside of the page. Sure, he's had many a guest-appearance but he rarely starred in anything.

Thor's most enduring look.

Much like the Norse myth, Marvel's Thor is the son of Odin and hails from Asgard. His brother, Loki is often his antagonist and the two have fought (and made up) multiple times throughout the decades. His adventures have featured a strong supporting cast such as The Warriors Three, Lady Sif, Baldur and Heimdall (many of which are also based upon Norse gods). It didn't take him long to join the ranks of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes (he debuted in Journey into Mystery in 1962 and was present with the Avengers for their first adventure in 1963), ever since he's been closely associated with them. He has gone through various re-designs, re-interpretations and even a death or two. But what's always been at the core of the character is the fact that he's a hero in the most classical sense. He may not always be polite or humble, but he uses his godly strength to defend humanity from otherworldly threats. Since most people are at least passingly familiar with his role in the Marvel Universe (and since his history is so extensive), I'll leave it at that. This ain't Wikipedia.

PILOT LITE: The Flash (2014 television pilot)

For better or worse, it is impossible to discuss The Flash without first addressing the series that laid the groundwork for it. In its first couple of seasons, Arrow has established a definitively serious tone for its cast of characters. I think, overall, it works for the series. It's dealing with a younger, angrier Oliver Queen who has far more self-doubt than is typically seen in the comics (at least prior to that whole "New 52" thing). As such, the tone fits his character. In season two, when the future-Flash Barry Allen was introduced and it was announced that he would be getting his own spin-off series, I was a little hesitant due to said tone. Barry has always been a character known for being (for lack of a better term) a "good" guy. So how would his character work in a world that's as somber and dour as Arrow's? Well, the two-parter that introduced him answered that question partially, and it turns out it's "pretty well, actually". The character is still the same old Barry from the comics. He's sincere and good-hearted, just updated to better reflect the world that we live in currently, which makes perfect sense.


THE UNADAPTED: Shang-Chi

Guest Writer Extraordinaire Brian Baer provided this look at a Marvel character who has had a whopping zeroo appearances in expanded media. Where's the Kung Fu love, Marvel?

Writing about Marvel, especially characters who haven't been adapted yet, isn't easy. Pre-Iron Man, movies and other media based on Marvel's characters were as hit-or-miss as DC's. Since then it's become a different story. Not only are audiences being treated to high quality films, the Cinematic Universe's scope is almost too comprehensive to allow Monday Morning Quarterbacking. But this is the internet, after all. So, I'll give it a shot.

PILOT LITE: Gotham (2014 television pilot)

This year sees an unprecedented amount of comic book characters being adapted to the small screen. When you add new shows to returning series like Arrow, Walking Dead and Agents of SHIELD, it sure looks like comics are primed to dominate this medium in the same way they have movie screens for the last decade or so. As such, now seems like the perfect time to launch a new column that takes a look at comic-book-based pilots. I've reviewed a couple so far, but they have been for shows that weren't picked up or were never actually aired. With this column, I want to focus on shows that did go to series and see how well they establish their tone, characters and future storylines.

Dirty Laundry (2012 short film)

Dirty Laundry is an unofficial continuation of...you know what, just watch it yourself.



There.

THE UNADAPTED: X-Statix

Within Marvel Comics, mutants have always reflected the society in which they are written. From the racial tensions of the 60's, and the AIDS epidemic of the 80's and 90's, right up to modern gay marriage issues, those with the x-gene have always been there as a stand-in for the current oppressed minority. And while the comics have often addressed the cultural impact of a world with such strange and different individuals in it, that was never really the focus of any story. That is, until The X-Statix burst onto the scene...


...literally.

CBM PROFILE: Deadshot

This is a new column where I'll look at how a single comic book character or team has been adapted throughout the years. Think of this as the opposite of The Unadapted (The Un-Unadapted, if you will) in that this will be chronicling characters who have made multiple appearances in expanded media. My first subject will be everyone's favorite gun-for-hire: Deadshot!



Daniel LuVisi's beautiful cover to
Secret Six, issue 15

Deadshot (AKA Floyd Lawton) first appeared in Batman's comic way back in 1950. He was a gimmick villain who posed as a hero trying to abdicate the Dark Knight's throne as the top crime fighter in Gotham. He was eventually found out and sent to prison. At the time, he wore a costume consisting of a top hat and domino mask. Upon being released from prison, he was rebranded as a marksman for the highest bidder. Along with the change came a new costume consisting of a targeting reticle over his right eye which has become an iconic part of the character's attire.

Since his early days, the character has evolved into more than a run-of-the-mill villain. He is a father who is devoted to making a better life for his daughter, a nihilist who isn't afraid to die when the time comes and a good friend to those he deems worthy. He's also become a fixture in DC's Suicide Squad, surviving more missions than just about anyone else. He even made the transition to the New 52 version of the team. With his devil-may-care attitude, it's no wonder he's been so popular outside of the printed page.

Fantastic Four (1994 film)

This poster is crazy rare and worth a fortune now. I'm not joking.

Most people could be forgiven for failing to understand the concept of an ashcan copy. When it comes to film, it's exponentially more difficult to comprehend or explain. Essentially, it's something that's created (usually a comic book) with the soul purpose of retaining or establishing the rights to a name or character. Ashcans are not intended for release and are typically easily tucked away. This is understandable for printed media where a writer and artist can rush something together in a few days in order to meet a contract stipulation. It's much harder to justify when making a film. You've got a director, writers, producers, a dozen cast members, hundreds of crew members and a hundred or so more extras. All of which are putting their time and effort into something that will never actually get to be seen by paying audiences. Why would anyone want to be involved with a project where their talents would never be showcased? Well, if you're the rights-holder to this film, you simply don't tell them.

Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014 film)

Beginning as a video game that was loosely based on a Grant Morrison comic, the Batman: Arkham series has become a force all its own. The series has sold millions of copies and remains a healthy outlier in an industry that is notoriously poor to comic books. When it was announced that an animated film was in the works and was to be set in this universe, there was a palpable level of excitement from most fans of the series. When it was announced that the film would star The Suicide Squad, my personal level of excitement grew to insane levels.

THE UNADAPTED: X-Factor

The "X-Men" sub-genre of books within the Marvel Universe tend to be very different from one another. There are various teams, agencies and allegiances and too many characters to name here. Within so many of those X-books the idea of change remains a fitting constant. All of these titles have seen massive shifts in tone, characters and concept. This edition of The Unadapted will look at one of those teams that's had relatively little in the way of exposure outside of the page.

Howard the Duck (1986 film)

Right off the bat, there's no way to address the timing of this particular write-up without discussing the ending of the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy film. So either proceed knowing that we'll be getting into spoiler territory or leave now.

THE UNADAPTED: Starman

Promotional ad for Starman #0

Starman is a character that dates back to the Golden Age of Comics. For those who didn't bother with the link, the Golden Age was a time from about 1938 to 1950 when superhero comic books were churned out like crazy and comic publishing became a big business. Many of DC's sizeable stable of characters were created in this period. Among them was Ted Knight AKA Starman, a science-hero from the 1940's who had a baton that enabled him to fly and shoot energy beams. It was powered by star-light, hence the name. The character was a member of JSA and All Star Squadron where he was often overshadowed by his teammates and rarely got a chance to shine (Ha! Puns). The character languished until he was revived in a post-Zero Hour series in the mid-90's created by James Robinson and Tony Harris.

Aquaman (2006 television pilot)

Comic-Con International in San Diego has recently wrapped up its 2014 programming. This year, there was a huge focus on comic-based television. The fall TV schedule brings us The Flash, Gotham, Agent Carter and Constantine (plus iZombie as a mid-season replacement). Combine that with returning shows Arrow, The Walking Dead and Agents of SHIELD and it seems that the box office dominance of comics is making it's way to the small screen. They've always had a presence in television (dating all the way back to George Reeves as Superman) but it's only become recently that it's been so mainstream. I realize shows like Batman: The Animated Series and JLU were popular and critically acclaimed, but they failed to capture the general public in the same manner that we're currently seeing. In fact, almost every live-action comic-based show in the last 15 years failed spectacularly.

THE UNADAPTED: Kid Eternity

**This is a new column where I (or other writers) take a look at comic book characters who either haven't been adapted to other media or haven't been adapted respectfully.**

The Kid and Mr. Keeper

I'll start things off with an oft forgotten character who, to date, has been referenced a whopping ZERO times in any form of expanded media: Kid Eternity. The Kid was created by Quality Comics in 1942 for a series called Hit Comics and made frequent appearances before getting his own ongoing series. Originally, the character was not given a proper name. He was only ever referred to as Kid, most likely as a way of creating a cypher that young readers could identify with and more easily imagine themselves in his sneakers.

Watchmen (2009 motion comic)

2009 was supposed to be the year of Watchmen. In the summer of 2008 (right before Comic-Con) the trailer for the long-awaited film adaptation was released to insane levels of excitement from the fan community. Almost immediately, sales of the graphic novel skyrocketed putting it back into the New York Times best sellers list. Not bad for a 22 year old comic book. DC and Warner Bros. geared up the merchandising machine and cranked out new reissues of the book, a toyline, memorabilia, a videogame, a photography book and a motion comic.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011 film)

Writer, philosopher and all-around genius Umberto Ecco once said that there are three things that he can read for days without being bored. Those three things are The Bible, the works of Homer and Dylan Dog. And yet, I'm guessing that a vast majority of people reading this have never heard of the titular Nightmare Investigator. For some reason, the surreal adventures of Dylan and his sidekick Groucho (a character that was modeled directly on Groucho Marx, copyrights be damned) never really caught on in the United States. However, in most of the rest of the world, Dylan Dog is one of the most read comic books.

The Rocketeer (1991 film)

Ah, The Rocketeer, one of the noblist of noble failures. I remember seeing this in the theatre when I was in first grade and being absolutely blown away by it. I ran around the front yard with a backpack hanging off of me and a bucket on my head re-enacted my favorite scenes. Sadly, my enthusiasm for the film faded quickly, not unlike the general public's opinion at the time.

GUEST COLUMN: Brian Baer's Giant Sized Man-Thing

**This entry was written by Brian Baer as part of my Guest Column series. Thanks Brian!**

"Whatever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing!!!"

This oft-printed caption box is typically the only introduction to the Man-Thing required. A brilliant scientist was betrayed in the Florida Everglades and, thanks to an experimental serum, became fused with the swamp vegetation. Now a shambling, barely conscious creature, the Man-Thing's highly empathic nature causes him to reach out with a burning touch. Anyone in his presence feeling fear would be scarred, immolated, or worse.

Jailbait (2013 film)

*NOTE* You'll find that this article has significantly less pictures than usual. Turns out a Google image search for "Jailbait Movie" brings up some interesting and unrelated results.

Justice League of America (1997 television pilot)

Have you ever heard of an elevator pitch? Now that I provided a helpful link, you should all be saying, "Yes! Of course! Don't ask condescending questions!" Ok, jeeze. I have watched this pilot more times than I care to admit and one thing keeps running through my mind: what was the elevator pitch for this? I can just imagine some excited executive at CBS breathlessly explaining his grand scheme for this series, "It's Friends but with superpowers!" And his boss, dollar signs clouding his vision responds with, "Yep. Let's do it."

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014 film)

*NOTE* Since this film was recently released, this will be a quick, spoiler-free write up that focuses less on plot and more on the feelings that this film evoked within me.

All franchises mutate.

GUEST COLUMN: "Welcome to the Cold Zone"

*NOTE*: To keep up with demand, I am institituing a new feature of this blog: guest columns! The following was written by friend and contributer J.R. Shartzer. Enjoy!



Batman & Robin was the first movie that offended me.

Kids think that everything is AWESOME. If it's loud and shiny, kids will buy it. That's what I attribute the success of those Transformers movies to. Anyway, I remember exiting the movie theater in June of 1997. I was eleven, about to turn twelve, and the stupidest thing was eating at me. See, I will accept that Batgirl is not Barbara Gordon and is Alfred's niece. I will accept that Batman has a personalized credit card. I will even accept that Bane is a mindless goon. But there was one quick moment that stuck with me.

"Argh! Dah Coolah!"

Mr. Freeze is imprisoned. He steps out of a blue light. Jesse Ventura playing a guard yells, "You can't live outside the Cold Zone!" That moment felt like someone was calling me "retarded." I was an eleven-year-old walking out of a movie theater imagining producers and writers laughing and saying, "Yeah. Cold Zone. Those fat little retards won't care. They'll buy our toys. They'll buy our Arkham play-set, complete with a Cold Zone! Why? Because fuck you! That's why. We already got your money.Why don't you...chill....out." 

At least the 60's show could be forgiven.

The first season of the Adam West Batman had a Mr. Freeze episode that featured a hot zone and a cold zone but at least they attempted to explain it and used it as a fun plot device. This? This was just lazy.

Entering that movie theater was the last time I remember genuinely being hopeful and excited for something. I've been bitter, miserable, and cynical ever since I exited that movie.

Joel Schumacher is kind of like the father I never had. Through Batman & Robin, he taught me some important lessons. He taught me that not everything is good. He forced me to grow up, become skeptical, and see the world for what it really is. Batman & Robin showed me that there is no god and that someday,
we are all going to die alone with nothing to cling to, because you can't live outside the god damned cold zone.




A big thanks to J.R. for providing that take on Batman & Robin. would YOU like to contribute? Please let me know!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)

It's funny to think that we live in a world where an insanely profitable film can be made from a cartoon that was based on a comic book designed to skewer common tropes of the media at the time.

Hulk Vs. Wolverine (2009 short film)

Marvel hasn't had the greatest track record with direct-to-video releases. Sure, most of them weren't terrible, but they also weren't amazing. Especially considering what DC had been cranking out during the same 3-4 years of their direct competition in this field. It's also rather telling that Marvel's initial contract with Lionsgate has expired forcing them to make animated features piecemeal (only 1 or 2 a year, sometimes less) through different animation houses while DC continues to release 3-4 a year consistently even though Warner Premiere (their initial distributor) no longer exists.

X-Men: Evolution (2000-2003 tv series)

Batman And Robin (1997 film)

If Superman was the Alpha of comic book movies, Batman & Robin was very nearly the Omega. It was an expensive, garish, day-glo nightmare of a film.

Superman (1978 film)

     

It's difficult to look back on a movie like Superman without any sort of historical context. The box office landscape today is so shockingly different than it was back then. Because of that, any modern assessment seems too reverent while any critique from a contemporary point of view feels needlessly antiquated. Regardless of what decade you're watching this film in, there is one word that will always stick with it: important. Superman is an incredibly important comic book movie.

Looking back at it with the assurance of hindsight, it's hard to understand why this movie was such a gamble. Its script was handled by an incredibly well-respected writer (Mario Puzo) and a recently popular filmmaker (Richard Donner) directed a cast lead by two A-list stars (Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando). Yet, there was no formula for a blockbuster back then, since the age of the blockbuster was still so fresh and new. Star Wars had yet to be released during production and Jaws could have just as easily been a fluke than a signal to a new wave of motion picture trends.

As I type this, I realize that I'm not saying anything that hasn't been stated a hundred times already or can't be gleaned from a Wikipedia article. So forgive me for abandoning the earlier history lesson in an attempt to focus on what this film means to me. As a child, I had precious few comic related films to latch onto. There was the Superman series and the 60's Batman movie (more on that in a later post, I'm sure). The 80's Batman film came out when I was in kindergarten and was a little too adult for me for a couple of more years. So for the longest time, I had campy, funny Batman (that had a kind of "small" aesthetic) and Superman. In comparison, Superman was grand and felt like a real "movie". It was the meaty filet mignon to the scrawny cheeseburger of Batman. I remember seeing the VHS box art, "You'll believe a man can fly", it promised. And I'll be damned if I didn't. That first flight in the Fortress of Solitude, where Superman takes off and banks in front of the camera, is a sight to behold. I'm getting chills remembering it. And THAT is why this film is important. Not because it was first or because it was a blockbuster or because it had a great cast. It's important because it made people believe in Superman. It made him real.

 "It's true! You will!!!"

Almost since before the first film was released, DC and Warner Bros. have struggled with successive Superman films. The sequel (which was being filmed at the same time as the first) was taken from original director Richard Donner and was shoddily cut together with new footage filmed by Richard Lester. The less said about the other two films in the franchise, the better (for now at least). And a 2006 return to Donner's Superman universe was met with praise from critics but mostly "meh"'s from audiences. In 2013 the Man of Steel was rebooted into a darker, grittier hero and the response was the polar opposite of last outing. So why does the original get so much right, while later installments struggle? Is it simply because it was first? I don't know. I will leave that open for debate in the comments. And hopefully that concept can be further explored in future posts.

Needless to say, the film left its mark.

                                                         
Random Thoughts

Best line: "You've got me! Who's got you?!"

That whole "Can you read my mind" scene is still a little...off-putting.

Is it possible to see Superman fly and NOT hear John Williams' theme?

I would still love to see the ending tweaked to fit in with Richard Donner's cut of Superman 2. Maybe someday...

Well, that's my first write up. How was it? Too technical? Not technical enough? Please let me know in the comments. I'm still finding my voice here and input is welcome. Help me make this blog SUPER! Get it? Did you get what I did there?

Introduction to Comic Book Media 101

Comic books have come a long way since my childhood. There are many, many reasons for this. First, is an aging demographic base that demands more complicated stories and intricate plotting than when they were children. I am firmly within said demographic. I am 30 now, and easily read more comics than I did when I was 13. I would guess that this is true for most adult comic readers. Thus, the industry works to appease those who spend the money.

The second reason would be the logical evolution of the medium. While comics (meaning pictures and words combined to tell a story) have existed for countless centuries, the concept of a "comic book" or "bandes dessinées" is relatively new when compared to the history of literature and drama. As such, it is still in the early stages of its natural evolution. It has changed greatly in the 75+ years since the creation of the "Super Hero"* and will continue to change even more in the future.

Third, and what I find the most interesting, is the popular and profitable spread of comics into other media. Comic books have a long history in film and television but it has only been recently that they have become such money-making juggernauts. At any given quarter within the last few years, films based upon comics have dominated the box-office and made obscene amounts of money.

The purpose of this blog will be to look back on every piece of comic book media from the realms of film, television, animation and home video. Essentially, reviewing and giving information on each piece of comic book media that is presented. While the artistic and financial triumphs within the medium are worthy of discussion, I am also very interested in the adaptations that failed (either creatively or monetarily) and examine the reasons behind both. This may be considered a daunting task, but if you've ever seen my collection of comic-book movies, you'd know that I'm up for it. With that comes the question of what should be examined first...

                                                           




*Note that the term "Superhero" dates to 1917, but for the purposes of comic based Super-humans, I am tracing it to around the time of the creation of Superman (1938) and Sub-Mariner (1939). Since DC and Marvel collectively hold the copyright to the term "Super Hero", I think that is appropriate.