DESPICABLE ME IN 3D - MOVIE SNEAK PREVIEW

DESPICABLE ME the new animated film from Universal Pictures is soon to be a hit . . . that's right I'm calling it early. Earlier in the week I received a phone call from Universal Pictures asking me if I wanted two tickets to the sneak preview showing of the film . . . I quickly said yes. Well somehow they got my information through my webcomic Strange City Heroes and they sent me 20 tickets to get two people in to the preview. Sadly I did not get the tickets until 6:30 P.M. yesterday and the movie was at 10:00 A.M. this morning. I was able to give away a few at the theatre and one family gave up going to see Marmaduke in favor of free tickets to Despicable Me.

I had wanted to see this movie since I first saw the trailer for it because it just looked really funny and I'm a fan of animated movies. I didn't really know what to expect this movie to be but I am more than happy in what I found out.

This movie is based around the world's Super Villains and how extreme a heist they can pull off (I won't tell you what the big heist is though). There are wonderful inventions, lots of ray guns there are shrink rays, ice rays and uhhhhhh squid guns and land and flying machines that take imagination and turn it up to 11.

The main characters are Gru (Steve Carell), Vector (Jason Segal), Dr. Nefario (Russel Brand), Miss Hattie (Kristen Wiig) and three wonderful orphan girls Margo, Edith, and Agnes (Miranda Cosgrove, Elise Fisher, & Dana Gaier).

The plot takes Gru who is the world's greatest villain to a point where he has been bested by a newer younger villain who has stolen the Great Pyramids of Egypt and forces him to think of the biggest heist he can imagine and for this he will need a shrink ray and funding from the bank (banks loan to evil super villains you know.) Insert three little girls (If I ever have kids I want little girls) who steal the show and just might make evil a little less evil. 

You will leave this movie knowing you saw a funny movie, a movie with a heart, I superhero errr super villain adventure that ranks up there with some of the best, and something both kids and adults will enjoy . . . I know because there were as many laughs by children as adults in the theatre and the children seemed genuinely interested in the movie from start to finish.

Despicable Me was my first modern full length 3D movie and I was impressed how much 3D seems to have changed. There were times when things looked a little blurry but things were moving and I can live with that because it wasn't much. The 3D effects were there but not overly in your face and at the end as the credits start to roll there is some fun had with the 3D that you will get a few more good laughs out of.

Oh you are wondering well what about those yellow guys . . . well those guys are awesome and very funny. The yellow guys work in a secret lab beneath the home of Gru as his minions and they do all the dirty work in making super villain-ing a science. You will love these guys and probably wish you had a few around the house to aid you in your own super villain escapades.

Don't miss this one, take your kids to see it, take your wife or husband, take a friend, take grandma you will have fun, you will see a sweet story unfold and most of all you will laugh. 5 Stars!

http://www.despicable.me/

- Kevin P. Johnson

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson

Image is copyright © 2010 Universal Pictures and is used as Fair Use Review image only. Image will be removed upon the request of Universal Pictures.

Firestar #1 - One-Shot

They had me at Firestar and in the end  I truely was had. When I heard Marvel was doing a One-Shot Firestar comic I was excited because I have read very little about the character and have always wanted to know more about her since I was 10 years old way back in 1981 when the character was created for the animated TV show Spider-Man and His Amazing-Friends.  

When I saw the Stephanie Hans cover for this comic I was blown away and this has instantly become a member of my favorite comic book covers of all time. Sadly this is the best thing about the whole comic book.

The writing was fine, the art was good but the comic was a big nothing throw away. There is no adventure, there is no villain, there is no earth shattering fight scene, its just a story about Firestar's non-superhero personal life.

It has a nice moment where Firestar and her highschool enemy (now alcoholic soon to be divorced) have a turning moment in their lives where they just might end up friends but it's the kind of thing that should be the back story in an ongoing series and not the focus of a one-shot comic that has a $3.99 price tag.

The comic goes nowhere exciting until the very end when Firestar decides to continue being a Superhero andflies out the window right into a tag line that says "follow FIRESTAR into the pages of YOUNG ALLIES #1 on sale in JUNE!" I've been had and this was all a big advertisement for another series that I do not plan on buying and I suggest that you also pass on the Firestar #1 One-Shot . . . unless you are buying it for the cover . . . I do love the cover.

- Kevin P. Johnson

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson
Image is copyright © 2010 Marvel Comics are used as Fair Use Review images only. Image will be removed upon the request of Marvel Comics.

Thor Movie Picture Released.

The first image of Thor has been released I'm hoping this movie will be awesome!

I am happy that they have chosen this costume which seems to be much like the current costume in the mainstream Marvel Universe.

I await the first SMITE!

- Kevin P. Johnson


Image is copyright © 2010 Mark Fellman and Paramount Pictures and used as a Fair Use Review image only. Images will be removed upon the request of Mark Fellman or Paramount Pictures.

Look a ticket to NOLA Comic-Con 2010

Of course you know I took out the barcodes so you don't try to scam your way in for free.

- Kevin

KICK-ASS The Movie / KICK-ASS The Comic

So on Friday I went to see KICK-ASS the movie. I had no idea what the story was about outside what the commercials let on and I knew that this was roumered to be a comic that was made in order to get a movie deal (I should find out if that's true or not.) Now despite the 8 or 10 jerks who sat behind me talking the entire movie (one even proclaimed he was "trippin' on extacy") this move was indeed KICK-ASS. I went in knowing nothing and came out with the opinion that this was the best comic book movie ever.

This is what I imagine a real world superhero would  go through nothing really working out but still as long as he or she was breathing justice would be served. This movie had the heart of Spider-Man with the grit and violence of Sin City and all of the characters seemed real enough that you might just know them. The name dropping in this movie is a Fanboys wildest dream and everything that fits in with comic book fandom was in this movie.

I don't want to spoil the movie but I promise you that the price of admission is well worth it . . . the child vigilante hero Hit Girl is worth the price of admission this this kid is the best on screen killing machine I think I've ever seen kinda like a baby Puinsher. This movie is not for kids but if you are old enough to see a Rated R movie GO SEE KICK-ASS.

After the movie I thought I have to go get the trade paperback of this book (that turned out to be a hardcover trade) and just looking at the cover I knew that this was going to be just as wild a ride as the movie.

 

The movie version of the story is very close to the comic book story and even includes many incodents of exact dialogue that appeared in the comics. (My Only Spoiler is that both the movie and comic ends with the exact same words.) Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. tell the tale of the modern day, real life superhero who has no clue as to the how he's going to save the world three days during the week and Sundays but he knows that if not him then who? KICK-ASS is simply the story of a teenage boy who for all intents and purposes just plainly exists in a world full of nobodies called high school, he has friends but he's just there and it is time that he stood up and did something that changed the world. Read this story, see the movie and if you get the chance go out and become a superhero . . . of course if you get hurt or hurt someone else that is your own doing and I am not to blame for giving you that idea.

 

- Kevin P. Johnson

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson

Images are copyright © 2010 Universal Pictures/Lionsgate and Icon Comics are used as Fair Use Review images only. Images will be removed upon the request of Universal Pictures/Lionsgate or Icon Comics .

Hey everyone the NOLA Comic-Con is back and will be two days this year. I’ll be out there taking pictures and just being a fan (can’t be in it this time) but I wanted to let you know some of the people that will be there.


Kody Chamberlain
Derec Donovan
Rob Guillory
Dave Johnson
Robby Musso
Darick Robertson
John Dell
Victor Gischler
Big Easy Comics
BSI Comics
Crescent City Comics
Gotham City Collectables
Louisiana Double Play
Magic Comics and Hobbies
Media Underground Comics
More Fun Comics
The Barely Rotten Girls
Changeling FX
Find out more at http://www.nolacomic.com/index.html

Blackest Night - A Few Words

So Blackest Night DC's latest big thing super-crossover event of the year. I just got number 8 last night (Mail order comics put you behind a bit) and I've got to say I was pretty happy with the outcome.

I didn't get into all of the crossovers and other limited series that went along with this (currently not able to buy a lot of DC titles) but I have read the crossovers in JLA and JSA and those couple of comics you got the free rings with and I have to say that I am pleased in what I've read.

I'm really going to have to read the series over because there is so much about DC Comics that I don't understand and Blackest Night has a lot happening in it that makes me scratch my head but boy does it look awesome, Ivan Reis can draw all of my comics and I'd be ok with that.

This post isn't to really spoil it or tell you about the story I'd rather not do that right now so I'm here to give a few words on what I think the result will do.

Blackest Night resulted in bringing back several major characters from the dead. Some of the final words of the series by Hal Jordan spoke that I think will impact DC for years to come "I Think Dead Is Dead From Here On Out," those are powerful words in comics and I hope that they are true. In my mind I'm going to believe that DC brought back all of the characters that they want alive and those that remained dead will stay dead forever. Believing this will probably burn me but I think people are getting tired of seeing characters die and come back so much and hopefully the creators and publishers will see that death is a serious thing and changes the universe and has lasting effect on all those who survive.

DC you did a great thing with Blackest Night and I'm looking forward to reading the Brightest Day series coming out soon. I hope that you run with what you have set up and make the best comics you possibly can. This series alone has me interested in reading Green Lantern and comic books featuring all of the other Lantern Corps.

As for who they brought back to life . . .  that you'll just have to read the series for now. I may come back later on and give a full review of the series with full on spoilers and just ruin it for everyone.

- Kevin P. Johnson

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson

Images are copyright © 2010 DC Comics are used as Fair Use Review images only. Images will be removed upon the request of DC Comics.

The New Fantastic Four (Hard Cover)

The New Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics
$19.99

The Fantastic Four have been around a long time, they have been one the major titles in the Marvel Universe since 1961 and I know very little about them. I came across the hardcover of The New Fantastic Four on the bargain table at Barnes and Noble which reprints Fantastic Four #544-550 and saw the price tag of $6.95 and thought that this would be a great buy. You can't go wrong with hardcover comics right?

Well I flipped through it and quickly noticed that included were the original cover's to the issues as well as variants and they were all full size. I don't know why more collections do not do this. The original covers were drawn by the late Michael Turner an artist that I loved. Turner gets a hard time from some fans and critics but I like what he did my only complaint is that it seems that every woman he drew was the same woman . . . fortunately she was a beautiful woman and I can live with that. I also noticed that the colors were amazing, bright and wonderful (by Paul Mounts). I was no doubt buying this.

So why have I not really read much of the Fantastic Four? The answer is I don't really know. I don't really have anything against them I like The Human Torch, The Thing & The Invisible Woman (Sue Storm) and although I'm not a big fan of Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) I don't hate him. Something just has never made me pick up this comic book on a regular basis.

So this story takes place over seven issues of the regular series and a lot happens. Reed and Sue are taking a break from the team to go on a long overdue honeymoon. Storm (of X-Men Fame) and The Black Panther are here and invited to stay with the Fantastic Four. Almost instantly this new group finds themself in outer space looking for the exhumed body of their friend Gravity.

Before long the New Fantastic Four run into the alien being Epoch who had kidnapped Gravity to help save her from Galactus by giving him the Power Cosmic making him Protector Of The Universe. A battle ensues with the heralds of Galactus the Silver Surfer and Stardust and with the Black Panther and Storm's help Gravity uses his Power Cosmic to satiate Galactus' need to feed and Galactus promises to no long seek Epoch as a source to feed on.

You'd think I'd have spoiled the comic by now but that is only the half of it if you pick this up you will see a ton of Watchers, The Frightful Four, Eternity, Dr. Strange, TWO ALIEN RACES,  a crack in space that could mean big trouble for everyone, all six New Fantastic Four members, more Silver Surfer and a ton of Gravity.

I enjoyed this story and although I have not put the Fantastic Four on my monthly pull list I am considering looking for more collections especially if I can find them at a great deal like I did with this book.

- Kevin P. Johnson

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson
Images are copyright © 2010 Marvel Comics are used as Fair Use Review images only. Images will be removed upon the request of Marvel Comics.