AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Review

One could make an argument that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most anticipated film of 2015. Truth be told, that's probably the case. Still, many would claim that the highly awaited Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron is. (It could be a moot point anyway since both movies are both distributed by Disney!) When "The Avengers" came on the scene three years ago it forever changed the comic book movie landscape, landing as the third greatest film in the box office. And it definitely deserves it, for it is enjoyable from the start to finish. "Age of Ultron" brings back the characters for another excellent adventure. While perhaps lacking in iconic moments than the first one, it's nonetheless a worthy sequel to one of the most enjoyable movies of the decade.

When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron (James Spader), a technological terror hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.

From the film's action-filled opening, you know you're in for something truly exciting. Director Joss Whedon once again incorporates the heroes and their unique personalities well. While sometimes the sarcasm feels like it's there just to be there, the dialogue is almost always enjoyable. And that's the way it should be when you have Earth's Mightiest Heroes together. Pace wise, like the first one there are practically no moments that drag on. Is it better than the first movie however? Of course, nothing will ever beat the "wow they're all together!" factor, but nonetheless I'm inclined to say the previous one is a little better and there are basically no plotholes, unlike this one. Still, any negatives that are about to be said don't hinder the enjoyment.

Almost all of the characters are of course great. Let's us however address one plothole: the Hulk. In the climax of the first movie Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) reveals that he's able to control his green alter ego since "He's always angry." Yet here he seems to have almost no control, which was disappointing. Because of this hole, Banner ended up being a lot less notable than his self in the first film. Another thing is the romance between him and Black Widow. (Scarlett Johansson.) It comes out of nowhere, but I can let that go slightly since at the same time it doesn't feel too forced while watching the film.

Chris Evans delivers another fantastic portrayal as Captain America. As the leader of the Avengers should be, he commands a level of inspiration every time he's on screen. Robert Downy Jr, while not having as many great lines as in the first movie, gives another great portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man. It's the same with Black Widow and of course Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury who doesn't appear much but when he does, he commands a presence. While before I thought there could have been someone better for the role of Thor, Chris Hemsworth proves here that he is a very good Prince of Thunder. The film also makes great use of previous characters in the franchise. Let us however talk about the new characters. When it was unveiled that Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch, and Vision would be appearing, many thought it would be too much of an overload. Somehow, the film makes it all work without making everything seem too crammed in.

The twins have an adequate amount of backstory, nicely setting them up as sympathetic without delving too much into that aspect. Scarlet Witch, being a major Avenger in the comics, has some nice scenes in the climax. Sadly, Quicksilver fans might be disappointed with his role in comparison. Vision doesn't get too much screen time, yet he still manages to be a highlight. If this were another movie it would have felt crammed, but not in the Avengers. A surprise highlight was Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. It was as if if Whedon was saying "sorry" for his role in the first movie, being mind-controlled for most of it. Here he actually ends up being one of the big highlights. Now, onto perhaps the biggest reason for watching this...ULTRON.

Many fans were shocked when it was revealed at Comic Con two years ago that Ultron would be the antagonist. Thanos is perhaps Marvel's greatest villain, but as far as Avengers enemies go, Ultron can't be beat. As a longtime fan of the character, I know the different versions of him in the comics well. The movie's version to say the least is definitely engaging. James Spader delivers a terrific voice portrayal. Character wise, he's definitely a greatly written character, but how about as an Ultron adaption? While his dialogue is almost always enjoyable, it seems to me that he was chosen to be sarcastic because the team is. It seems that what the film was going for is a dark mirror of Tony Stark's personality. It would have been interesting to see if the film used his more serious, logical robot persona. Still, at the end of the day despite any personal preferences what we get is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest antagonists. He commands a presence, and thankfully the film doesn't shy away from how powerful he is. (I still think his design from the Comic Con teaser would have been better.)

From the opening until the climax, the film has a lot of impressive action scenes. Perhaps the most hyped one was the Hulk Buster vs. Hulk battle. It definitely doesn't disappoint, but my personal favorite one was when Cap battles Ultron himself on top of a truck. Marvel continues to improve with the intensity and choreography of the action scenes. The final battle, like the first movie, has the team battle an army. This is entertaining, but it would have been nice to see more of a fight with Ultron himself. He only really battles the team one on one at a time, which is rather disappointing. Soundtrack wise, it's pretty standard as far as comic book movies go. We have the usual heroic themes which are always utilized well. The soft opera used during the climax was used extremely well, further making apparent of the rather bleak situation.

Overall, the Age of Ultron delivers. While not necessarily better than the first movie, there's no denying how enjoyable and great it is regardless. Yes, there are somethings that could be fixed and tweaked a bit, but really when you're watching Iron Man take on the Hulk in the streets it's hard to complain. Ultron is fantastic, and while it would have been nice to see a more serious take, there's denying that he was a blast to watch on screen. The action is amped-up, with plenty of incredible battle scenes scattered throughout. Marvel has done it again.

4.5/5

Why INFINITY is the BEST Marvel Event in a Long Time

Like it or not, in today's Marvel comic world, events are everything. Whereas in the past they were used scarcely, they come extremely fast these days. In fact, sometimes an event is announced while the current one is still going! Sadly, there hasn't been a really "wow, that's epic" event in awhile, until Infinity came along. Age of Ultron was a huge disappointment for many reasons. To this day I'm still wondering what happened to the 'epic conclusion' the final issue promised. What a great thing Marvel butchered, a slap in the face to people like me who had been waiting years to read it. Anyways, a little bit before that Avengers vs. X-Men came out, which was really solid for the most part.

Siege, Fear Itself and Secret Invasion were all lacking. Siege was simple and to the point, but lacked any real impact on the reader. Fear Itself had an absolutely fantastic first issue, but the rest fell flat. (I still can't get over how 'the Mighty' appeared literally out of nowhere with no hype whatsoever.) Secret Invasion had some neat ideas and the build-up was good, but the actual 8 issue series was anything but. (And because of it there's a running gag about Skrulls that's still in the comics today, it's really annoying.) AVX rises above all of those, but is it on the same level of Civil War or The Infinity Gauntlet? At this point nothing will ever be. But at least Infinity tries its best to be the most epic thing the comic world has seen.

When you have comic book movies releasing simultaneously with comics, you have to expect the company to capitalize. With Thanos gaining popularity thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was inevitable he was going to be brought back. It was definitely welcome, after his horrid appearance in Avengers Assemble, (what was Bendis thinking, oh right, Bendis, the same writer as Age of Ultron...) it was time for a true Thanos story. Infinity's writer Johnathan Hickman must love poetry, because the writing is very poetic. It's admittedly overdone, but some of it is very good. While no one can quite write Thanos like Jim Starlin, Hickman wrote a really good version of the Mad Titan.

The story is divided into two sections: The Avengers whom are conveniently in outer space and on Earth where Thanos hopes to find his only living son. The son, Thane, was an interesting character for the most part. Sadly by the end, it looks like he's going to be on the evil side, which is unfortunate since the comic basically showed us that he's not his father. It's too ambiguous, which is disappointing since a good chunk of the story revolves around him. Now the climax is pretty epic. Could the fight between Thanos and the Avengers been longer? Yes. But I'll take what we got. We had quite a few fantastic shots, such as an amazing one of Thor taking on the Titan. It actually felt like a true epic climax, something every major comic event needs to have. (Looks at Secret Invasion.)

How about some negatives? Not every event is perfect, unless you're Civil War or Infinity Gauntlet. Ex Nihilo joining the Avengers was an unexpected and cool thing. Readers like myself were looking forward to seeing this guy trade punches with Thanos. We got none of that, in fact Nihilo did practically nothing in the event, which is a true shame since he's one of the better new characters from Marvel. And this is more of a personal gripe, but I can't be the only one that noticed Issue 3 stole Ultron's 'Submit or perish' line from Age of Ultron. But beyond those things, there aren't many other bad things to say about this event. Unlike Age of Ultron, this feels like the story it set out to be: an Avengers vs. Thanos space epic.

Besides the climax, perhaps the best scene in the entire thing is the short fight between Black Bolt and Thanos. Bolt has remained an interesting figure in Marvel. He's always regarded as legendary thanks to his power. So when he loses, such as in World War Hulk, it's a big shock to the heroes and readers. The dialogue from Thanos is fantastic, such as him calling Bolt "Little King." And the way he beats him, by simply slamming him to the ground, is so simplistic and even gritty that it works.

Infinity is a poetic epic, something Johnathan Hickman seems to like writing. Admittedly sometimes it's a little difficult to follow what's happening in the space scenes, but I guess that shows just how complex this story is in comparison to previous events. It might not be as good as the other big Thanos story, Infinity Gauntlet, but it's truly a great read admist lackluster comics today. And once it comes out in trade format, it'll read like a really good poetic epic.

Avengers Assemble 'The Avengers Protocol' Review

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes was one of Marvel's greatest toons. Some might even call it the best. (The only real competition is X-Men and Spider-Man.) So when it was announced that it would be cancelled so Marvel could have a 'clean slate' for animated programs, it caused a great uproar. The Surtur sub plot, the major arc of Season 2, would never be finished. Many were biased against Assemble from the start cause it was replacing EMH. To calm everyone, it was said that it would be in the same continuity as EMH. I highly doubt that was in the original plan, but we'll never know. The trailer came and wowed people, the animation looked really good and more 'traditional.' Sadly it appeared to be similar in tone with Ultimate Spider-Man, which too looked good in the beginning. (And you saw how that turned out.) Based on marketing an promotion, Assemble used the film's atmosphere and characters. It's basically something for people who saw last year's movie to hop aboard. It gives the illusion that it's in the same universe. So do we have a quality show or a shameless cash-in to the movie? Despite marketing pointing to the latter, it's actually very fun.

The story takes place a few years after for some odd unexplained reason the Avengers disbanded. The Red Skull is back, and has MODOK on his side. Iron Man decides to launch the 'Avengers Protocol,' re-gathering Earth's Mightiest Heroes. A lot of things happen during the forty minutes, which includes Cap supposedly dying and Red Skull stealing Tony's armor and becoming the Iron Skull. First off, I like how bold the premiere starts. Cap gets picked off early on, sending a shock to the viewer. We obviously know he's not dead, but it's still an interesting way to start off. It's obvious this series is taking a less serious approach in hopes of trying to mimic the film's and Ultimate Spider-Man's atmosphere. It surprisingly works, it isn't too comical like USM, yet has enough comedy fans and newcomers can have fun with. Hulk's banter with Thor every Avenger nevers gets old. I'm really glad they stayed with his EMH personality as opposed to the film's. Character portrayals are pretty solid for the most part. Tony Stark's voice sounded off in the beginning, but it grows on you over the course of 40 minutes. (People didn't like his EMH voice either at first.) The only questionable character is the Black Widow. Her personality doesn't match the film's, EMH's or even the comics. She's actually sometimes annoying.

Red Skull is the primary antagonist of the premiere, and looks to be a recurring force. It's a pretty decent portrayal, about on par with EMH's. The big thing is him taking the Iron Man armor from Tony. It's a pretty dramatic scene that had an amazing amount of tension. Now dubbed 'Iron Skull,' he made some modifications to the look, which was great. It's good to see the show taking some unique routes. The action is pretty solid. I will admit the teasing of a true Hulk/Thor fight is kinda sad, but oh well. The animation is more traditional than EMH. Most people really didn't like the animation of the previous show at first, but overtime it grew on them. Much like from the Spectacular Spider-Man to Ultimate, Assemble looks more like a 'normal' toon, much like Justice League or X-Men. It looks good, not quite as much as the aforementioned shows, but solid.

Avengers Assemble Is off to a very good start. It successfully captures the fun atmosphere of the movie without sinking to Ultimate Spider-Man level of comedy. Characters, aside from Black Widow, are great as always. The story nicely sets things up for the coming episodes. Avengers 2 comes out in two years, so let us enjoy this fun show in the meantime.

4/5

Iron Man 3 Review

Iron Man 3 is the first major disappointment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's not a bad movie, but it's not exactly as high tier as the first one and barely (maybe not even) beats the second. It got hype for four primary reasons. One, it was going to be the third Robert Downy Jr. starred Iron Man film. Two, it was going to be the first MCU film after The Avengers. Three, it was going to feature the Extremis storyline. And finally four...it was finally going to feature Iron Man's greatest enemy from the comics, the Mandarin. Well it's fair to say the trailer gave a false presentation. Remember the scene with the armor grabbing Pepper? Thought the story was going to feature sentient armor? That's not a plot point at all. That aside, the film falls apart primarily thanks to the plot twist.

The prologue is admittedly very good. I love how it ties back to the first movie. It keeps a concurrent continuity and adds a rich backstory. It was something else seeing Yinsen again, definitely a great way to start out. Soon we head back to modern day where Tony has developed a way to 'summon' the armor to him. A fine invention, but can he handle the Mandarin's terror? Tony Stark spends most of his time out of armor, in fact, there's hardly any big action with him inside. Surprisingly Iron Man 2 had more satisfying action. But that's not the movie's main problem, it's the 'antagonist.' The big plot twist of movie is the realization that the man whom calls himself the Mandarin is actually not.

It's fair to say that the early scenes of the TV showing the ten rings symbol was pretty intense and well done. The Mandarin was portrayed perfectly as a terrorist threat. With lines such as "Some people call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher," he was turning out to be the greatest Iron Man film villain and one of the most memorable comic book movie antagonists. The scenes on the TV with his followers wiping out people felt real and gave you a bad feeling inside.

Then everything went out the window.

Let me ask you a question. Is it possible for a plot twist to be unexpected but not good? Or perhaps satisfying is the correct word. Nobody was expecting the Mandarin was actually just an actor named Trevor. This fake Mandarin is portrayed by Ben Kingsly, whom was doing a fantastic job as the antagonist in the beginning. But after the plot twist he becomes nothing but the biggest joke of the whole MCU. The acting is so over-the-top and not funny. Sure, one could argue this plot twist wouldn't matter to non-comic readers. But the fact remains that the screwed up Iron Man's greatest adversary. And I thought the worst enemy relationship between Red Skull and Cap in The First Avenger wasn't established that well. Here it's virtually nothing. We've waited three films for this, so that was a very disappointing factor.

Robert Downy Jr. once again plays the quirky Tony Stark. One might question him not knowing about the pistols Rhodey gave him, but other than that he steals the show once again. It was also nice to see a more 'human' side to him when it came to Pepper. Guy Pearce portrays Aldrich Killian, the true antagonist. He couldn't be more generic or dull. Sadly he is definitely the least memorable villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Extremis part of the story worked for the most part. It was rather disappointing that the trailer made everyone think the armor would gain sentience, false advertising at his finest. We also have returning star Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. She has a pretty good role throughout, not to mention the awesome moment where she completely beat up Killian. Jon Favreau (director of the previous two films!) as Happy Hogan was definitely a highlight, despite only a few appearances. Don Cheadle returns as James Rhodes, aka War Machine. Definitely a fun character to have around, especially next to Stark. Then there's this kid called Harley. There really wasn't much point to him, not to mention the acting was pretty sub-par.

There were some pretty intense action-themed special effect sequences. The destruction of Tony's mansion was powerful. The finale isn't bad. I can't say it was as satisfying as any of the other MCU films. The soundtrack is pretty good, nothing special but alright. Something I do like is how the movie references The Avengers but doesn't go overboard like with the second entry. It has just a nice sprinkle of them with the best being when Happy called them the 'Super Friends.'

Overall, Iron Man 3 is what I call a true 'disappointment.' It's by no means a bad movie,  it is enjoyable, but it's no where near the level of the first film. The true antagonist is unmemorable, and for longtime comic fans the Mandarin will be forever ruined. There's surprisingly little Iron Man action and the climax, while not bad, wasn't the greatest. I can only hope now that Marvel doesn't strike out with Thor and Cap.

3/5

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 'Avengers Assemble' Review

I remember when Earth's Mightiest Heroes was first announced. It was four years ago when they released a promo image, featuring Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Hulk, it was pretty exciting. The previous and only Avengers show, United They Stand, not too many people were fond of. (I still enjoy it.) This series looked to be the definitive Avengers show and quite possibly the Justice League of Marvel Animation. When the trailer was released it got for the most part positive reception. There were quite a few however who did not like the art style, in fact, some thought it would be kiddy because of it. But, when Breakout premiered two years ago, it was met with positive reception. Today, a lot of fans are disappointed that it's been cancelled in favor of the upcoming Avengers Assemble. (Technically it takes place after EMH, so we'll see.) There was a rather long hiatus between Season 1 and Season 2, about a year. The first part of Season 2 was about the Skrull Invasion with the Surtur subplot in the background. After the Skrulls were finished, the show went on to tell some one-shot stories, aside from the Kree two parter. Now we're at the final episode, which ironically is called 'Avengers Assemble.' It's pretty much an episode comic fans will have fun with, seeing all the heroes battling Galactus for the first time in amimation is pretty exciting. It's a cool episode, but would have worked better as a two-parter. It feels too rushed and Galactus was handled horribly. 

The beginning is pretty appropriate, a nice dialogue sequence with Tony and Cap. The former is curious about how the Avengers will be remembered in history. Soon a bunch of gigantic space debris appear, so the team is called in. A being called Terrax is the cause of this debris, which takes over Stark Tower. "I am Terrax, herald to the Devourer" and then the fun begins. It's always exciting when Galactus is involved in a story, because you know things are about to go down. As I've said, this should have been a two-parter. Terrax comes and right away announces Galactus is coming, then the big guy's ship appears some moments after. There's not enough time to grasp it for the "Wow" effect. Soon Cap calls in a bunch of heroes, including the Heroes for Hire. the Fantastic Four, War Machine, Winter Soldier, Wolverine (where's the other X-Men?) and of course Spider-Man, among a few others. It's pretty much a fan service episode to see all these heroes together. There's plenty of action as they take on Terrax and the other three heralds. (No Silver Surfer though.) I do have to question how the Human Torch's fire blast beat a cosmic water herald's blast. There are some really memorable parts from the script. I like how Tony said "Why is it always my building?" as the debris goes around Stark Tower. My favorite is when Terrax says "You believe you could defeat a herald of Galactus?" with Cap replying "We don't just believe monster, we're doing it." The show's writers did a great job with the scripts in this show, I hope Assemble lives up to it. Now this brings me to my major criticism with the episode, Galactus. 

Galactus has appeared in two different shows in the past. His first appearance was in the 90's Fantastic Four series. His major appearance episode was in 'The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus.' He made a few other appearances later in the show. His next appearance would be in the very short lived Silver Surfer cartoon. (Never heard of it? Thanos was in it too.) In both shows he is displayed as omnipotent and has a personality. Neither good, nor evil, arrogant, but not without understanding. In this show it's the complete opposite. To be fair, not too much can be done in one episode when there are other focuses at the same time. The problem is that he has no personality. Reed Richards is correct when he says Galactus is a force of nature, but that's too literal in this incarnation. He doesn't even talk. Now that was a letdown, part of the reason why watching Galactus is so much fun is to hear what he says. He's defeated rather too quickly and if you weren't a longtime Marvel fan, you wouldn't fully grasp how powerful he is. If anything, you'd think Ultron was more powerful just basing things on this show. I would have really preferred if they had substituted Galactus for Surtur. Even if it was going to be rushed, and least we would have had closure to a major story. (Yes, even though Assemble is technically a sequel, it won't carry over previous plot threads. In fact, you can bet it won't even reference previous events at all.)

Overall, on the surface this is a pretty fun and explosive episode. Looking deeper, you begin to notice its faults. It feels too rushed and just put together so the show can have some kind of finale. There isn't much to Galactus, he has as much personality as Sentry 459. (Except the latter was actually cool.) It is admittedly fun to see all the heroes together, with Spider-Man naturally getting the most spotlight of the guest stars. (Now that's Spider-Man, none of that Ultimate nonsense.) In the end, it's a rather rushed finisher for this great series, like it was put together quickly so a deadline could be met. Still, it's a blast if you've been a loyal watcher of the show or a longtime comic fan. I hope Assemble lives up to this series, we shall see next year.

3/5

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, I have three comic reviews for you this time around. Before I begin, I think I'll take some of this space to talk about something pretty interesting. Thanks to my, I quote, 'stunning work and dedication' of my work over at Unleash the Fanboy, I'm getting a free trade paperback of my choice! I ended up choosing the original Secret Wars story. (I was deciding between that and Marvel Zombies.) Hard work and dedication pays off. So yeah, now that I bored you long enough, onto the reviews. Here we have the Lizard taking over, Namor attacking, and Batman getting pummeled...

Amazing Spider-Man #689

Official Description

• Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Curt Connors, and the Lizard. The stars of this summer’s big blockbuster movie are right here! • Morbius the Living Vampire is on the loose and no one at Horizon Labs is safe—including a recently cured Curt Connors. • But if Curt Connors is cured, who or what is that new Lizard creature? It’s definitely someone Spider-Man knows…

Review

Never Turning Back is shaping up to be the best Lizard story of all time, and the best Spidey story in awhile. It feels like something from the late 80's, and that's a good thing. This version of Lizard is by far the best we've seen, Slott's writing for him is savage yet incredibly smart. However, other than the whole Lizard thing, Morbius takes a central role here. My favoriote part of the issue is when after he bit into Sajani's neck, Spidey was on the scene and attacked. The writing is stronger than ever, in fact, it's the strongest aspect. I just want to say the plot point of having Connors' mind out of commission in place of the Lizard's is such a unique and awesome thing. I'll be disappointed if this arc ends with the generic amd cheesy 'Conners mind eventually takes over and wins.' The art is very good, I wouldn't mind seeing it for the rest of the Spidey issues.


Overall it's another great issue. Never Turning Back looks to be a classic, this issue shouldn't be missed.

9/10

Avengers vs. X-Men #7

Official Description

• Cyclops changes the game with these three words: “No More Avengers!”

Review

With Marvel NOW being announced, everyone's wondering how exactly the ending of Avengers vs. X-Men leads into it. While technically not much happened in this issue, it was still very good. For once Cyclops doesn't come off as rather insane, his reasoning and logic makes sense. The tension between him and Namor was pretty intense, these Phoenix Five are getting pretty shady with each other, it makes the story a whole lot more interesting. Scarlet Witch is turning out to be one of the best characters in this event, it's interesting how she is really the only one that's able to keep the X-Men at bay. It makes for a great story when the heroes are on the losing side. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this all ends. And...someone dies! Or...not. Oliver Coipel's art works better for this event than John Romita Jr.'s.

Overall not much is progressed, but still another fantastic issue in this event.

9/10

Detective Comics #11

Official Description

• The connection between HYPNOTIC and the attacks on Wayne Enterprises is revealed! • Plus, the latest chapter in the TWO-FACE backup story. 

Review

The previous issue in this series had renewed faith for me, I was on the verge of dropping it. Detective Comics has been a pretty 'loose' series, sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's pretty bad. The next part in this arc thankfully keeps up the good. First off, I just want to say that I'm really enjoying Mr Toxic as the antagonist, I hope he keeps popping up in future issues. My only minor gripe is Batman's portrayal, he's coming off more as a dark Spider-Man than Batman. The way the story progress is interesting, Batman doesn't know what Mr. Toxic is doing, but at the same time the latter's plan isn't exactly going as planned. Interesting plot points there. The art is once again one of the strongest aspects of the book, one of the best covers I've seen in awhile.

Overall it's another great issue, this arc with Mr. Toxic has been the best since the first story with Joker and Dollmaker.

9/10

Marvel's THE AVENGERS Review

By now you've probably read a thousand reviews for this film. So what's the point of writing a review that will be positive like the rest? Every reviewer has their own personal likes with a film, so it's always good to add your say. Like many, I've been reading comics for a long time. Let's rewind time to ten years ago. I would be six, the idea of an Avengers film was nothing short of a dream. Yes, super heroes on the big screen was reality, but just the thought of seeing something such as the Avengers just wasn't possible. Fast forward six years later, with the first Iron Man film. Still, the thought of a film like this was still unbelievable. That was, of course, until the after-credits scene with Nick Fury saying "The Avenger Initiative." (I was one of the many who spoiled it by watching the leaked version online.) Imagine all the excitement after that, the possibilities were endless. Thus began the 'countdown to Avengers.' Marvel had a blast with hyping it up using the next films; Incredible Hulk, then Iron Man 2, then Thor, and finally Captain America. By then, we knew an Avengers film was imminent. Now, we had to wonder if they would get it right. A film of such magnitude could easily go the other way. Well true believer, as I'm sure you've read over a thousand times already, the Avengers is everything you want it to be, and then some. It's by far the greatest comic book movie of our generation, and probably won't be surpassed until Avengers 2.

Here's the official description, cause it'll describe it better than I could.

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

What is the main purpose of a film? Yes, there many purposes these days in the movie industry, but I think we can all agree that a film's main purpose is to entertain, to let the viewer escape reality for a bit. With that said, it's no surprise that Avengers may just be the most entertaining film since Godzilla Final Wars. There's so much action, yet a really great story is squeezed in there. There's this crazy group called the 'general audience.' What that means is that there's this very large group of people who can't accept things that don't feel 'real' or anything on the insane fantasy side. The Avengers appeases both sides, if the numbers are to be believed. This movie is bringing in the money, even on the international scale. Let's face it, the Avengers brings everything it promised. It's fun, fast-paced, and often times humorous thanks to the awesome cast.

Wow, this is probably the most diverse cast I've ever seen in a film. We've seen these people in their respective movies, but the performances by each actor here easily trump their own performances in their films. First off, Chris Evans as Captain America. I gotta say that in his solo film, he was good, but here, wow. Now I can't think of anyone else who would have done a better job. Evans did a phenomenal job as the First Avenger, he was by far my favorite character. The way Cap's portrayed was spot on, he takes charge and is established as the definitive leader. C'mon, who doesn't geek-out when he gives his fellow Avengers commands on how to handle the invasion situation. Plus, he had my favorite line of dialogue, "There's only one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure He doesn't dress like that." Even if the mask looks a bit cheesy, Cap was truly great in this film. Of course, the 'general audience' will always be a big fan of Robert Downy Jr. as our Iron friend. I don't blame them either, he's the definitive Tony Stark, having the most witty and humorous lines of the whole thing. Seriously, one can't help but smile every time he's on screen. Not really feeling Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Not bad by any means of course, but I didn't think he was that great in the role of the Thunder God. (I'm not saying he was bad, he was good, just not great like Downy or Evans.) I gotta say that another standout role was Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow. She was good in Iron Man 2, but I thought she didn't get to showcase what she could really do in the role. Anything negative said in the past about her with the role should be put to rest, she was one of the best characters in the whole thing. The Black Widow is my favorite female superhero, and I approve her portrayal in the film. Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye was pretty good, pretty much what'd you expect from a live action Hawkeye. While he didn't get as much as a focus like the others, he still had a pretty big role for the most part. Now time for Loki. Tom Hiddleston did a FANTASTIC job as the God of Mischief, like he was pulled straight out of the comics. He brings realism into his role, something that a lot of antagonists in these films lack. (Puts Doctor Doom from both Fantastic Four movies to great shame.) Mark Ruffalo (aside from looking a tad too old for the part) was great as Bruce Banner/Hulk. He added a certain 'coolness' to his role. He's the Hulk, he's accepted that, and has moved on. At first I thought he wouldn't have anything on Edward Norton. However, after this film, I can safely say that he makes a just as good, if not better Banner. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury once again. He was great, (naturally) but got a smaller role than I thought. He barely fought, I was expecting maybe for him to fight a little more. Also, how can one not like Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson? It's cool that the Marvel Cinematic Universe added this guy, he's a fun addition to the great cast.

Surprisingly, the whole 'invasion' part felt short.  There was a lot of buildings blown up, but I think it could have been more of a focus. A disappointing part was the Chitauri, they're nothing but mindless pharaoh looking creatures. (I think I know where Battleship got the design ideas for their aliens.) Also, the 'Leviathan' part was hugely disappointing. They (that's right, there's more than one) are finished off rather quickly by Hulk. There are however many geek-out moments here. Yes, there is a Thor vs. Hulk fight. Yes, it's satisfying and awesome. In fact, the battles are some of the greatest I've ever seen in a live action film, the choreography is amazing. We're getting fights from the comics we've always dreamed of. You can't help but cheer when Cap stepped in to battle Loki like a boss. (With some great dialogue from him to compliment the entrance.) Then the fight between Thor and Iron Man was just amazing, it's just a blast seeing these two together, let alone fighting it out! There's this really nice scene with the big three (Cap, Iron Man, and Thor) standing together. It was also a nice touch to have Thor swing his hammer just like from the comics. Comic fans will of course appreciate these little things more. (Thor's hammer banging against Cap's shield? Yes, it has that.) One thing that didn't make sense to me was when Hulk first transformed. He wanted to kill Black Widow, but later on, he seems to be in control and on the heroic side. (Even saving Iron Man from the brink of destruction.) It wasn't quite clear if Loki was controlling him or not. Besides that, I can't really name anything bad or inconsistent, because there really isn't much negative things to say. We get some great dialogue between the characters, some awesomely humorous moments, (Hulk beating around Loki like a rag doll, you would have to see the scene to get the full laugh) and it's the Avengers on the big screen. I'm almost surprised I came this far into the review without fainting from the awesomeness.

Overall, what's more to say? The Avengers is a darn fun film. The cast is top notch, and I really mean that. There's never a dull moment, the dialogue is always fun and often times with humor. The mid-credits scene is also amazing, it really makes the hardcore Marvel Comic fan's heart pound with excitement. The Avengers delivers in every category; acting, action, soundtrack, and overall fun, We get what no one thought possible in a live action film: Hulk vs. Thor. Joss Whedon has successfully done something no one ten years ago thought could happen: bring Earth Mightiest Heroes to the big screen. The only thing truly missing is the iconic battle cry, "Avengers Assemble!" But besides that, The Avengers captures everything a comic fan wants, and then some.

10/10.

Fear Itself: Why it Failed

So I just finished reading the final issue of the Marvel Comics event: Fear Itself. This wasn't a small-time event like Chaos War where it affected only a few books, this event effected EVERYTHING. It all leads back to Secret Wars, the first major Marvel event. For the most part, these game-changers have been astonishing, save for a few. (Secret Invasion.) Universally, it is is accepted that Civil War is the best out of them. In fact, no event prior Fear Itself came anywhere near Civil War in terms of quality. So to combat the more negatively reviewed events after Civil War, prior to Fear Itself, (Secret Invasion and Siege) Marvel decided to make the biggest story they ever told. Don't remember or believe me? Here are some quotes I had the courtesy of finding.

"We are going to be busting the doors down with the biggest story we've ever told."

Uh, what?

When I heard that, I took it like a marketing technique. That's just basically hype, I doubted they really meant "the biggest story they ever told." But they said it, and based on the title of this editorial, you can tell it wasn't. However that quote was not the most important my friends, this was.

"The biggest event since Civil War, maybe even bigger!"

Whoa there, hold on a second. Unlike Secret Invasion and Siege, they were pouring down MASSIVE hype toward this event, they really did mean it......or should I say, meant it. You see, Fear Itself didn't come close to being as epic as Civil War. Of course, you've heard lots of people say that, so I'm here with this editorial to explain things deeply.

Now to be fair, the first issue of this event was the perfect start, I gave it a PERFECT score. The seeds were planted in that issue, ensuring that the event would definitely be world-changing. What what we got wasn't even a land-changer. It changed things, sure, but practically every major thing felt forced. Alright, like I said, issue one was a stellar beginning with amazing moments. The scene where Thor and Odin battled and the latter chaining the first was not only epic, but supremely dramatic. That goes out the window an issue later where Odin lets Thor go free. Huh? Where did this sudden change of character come from? Of course, the aspect that got on everyone's nerves was:

THE DEATH OF BUCKY BARNES.

It wasn't the death itself that annoyed the fanbase, it was how afterward it was forgotten and undervalued. No one seemed to really care, not even Cap. (His care for it was displayed in the Avengers tie-in.) In the issues after, it was forgotten, like the death didn't matter. I knew that he would be the one to bite the dust, but it just felt so meaningless. Like, back in Civil War, Goliath died, that felt major, and was never forgotten. And he isn't even as close to a major character as Bucky! When a death of a major character feels meaningless, you have a problem.

The main antagonist is the "God of Fear:" the Serpent. This guy's backstory with Odin was very interesting, but wasn't explored or fully fleshed out enough. It doesn't help that he was given MASSIVE hype over the course of this event, yet he loses pretty fast in the last issue. I guess it's because he himself barely fought during the event, it was the Worthy who did all the work. One scene they did right was when Thor when to meet the Serpent for the first time, and he slapped aside the Thunder God like paper. What this event needed was more of the Serpent showing his power. The problem with a lot of media, is that if you wait until the very last scene to showcase the villain's power, it will feel underwhelming, cause you kinda know that he won't be able too look too powerful, especially in Marvel's case here, cause they were already saying what's coming after. Therefore the Serpent couldn't have looked like the world-changer villain they hyped him up to be. In a couple of months, this guy will most likely be forgotten, never to be seen again like other characters. (Toxin, what happened to you?)

Another major hyped-but-miserably-failed factor of the series was this:

THE MIGHTY.

They were the Avengers' answer to the Serpent's Worthy. Now that's one pretty awesome concept, I mean, look at those guys. Powered up with Asgardian technology, it's an amazing concept, if executed correctly, it could be one of the epic things to grace comics.......and of course this event mishandled the concept. They were saved for last, which was fine, but they have really no significance in the story. There's no big transformation sequence, it should have been more of a factor.

Fear Itself DOES have its moments. I said in a previous editorial that a very powerful scene I'll never forget was when Cap said, "We're going to lose." The Thor vs. Hulk and Thing battle back in issue five was one of the most epic battles I've ever read in comics. Not to mention the stellar art, some of the best I've seen in comics. And the last issue had the Serpent transforming into well, a real serpent. Now that was EPIC, that beast was the perfect end-boss......if only it could have lasted longer, the final battle was too anti-climatic. So the prophesy was fulfilled that Thor takes out the Serpent, and dies along with it. Not only does this death feel empty, it's hard to take seriously. There wasn't much emphasis on it, and let's face it, he's coming back. And don't get me started on Odin. He never seemed truly sane in this series. I mean, when Cap told him off back in issue six, he actually seemed surprised by the way the Avenger was addressing him.  Also, even in all the chaos and "fear," the Spidey I know wouldn't abandon the battle, it just isn't in his character.

Here's another false quote. "It has a beginning, a middle, and an end."

It doesn't have closure. One of the epilogues has Sin waking from injuries. What follows are these strange people saying that there's still work to be done. So Sin gets up saying that the world can still be changed. TO BE CONTINUED IN FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS it said. Therefore, the story of Fear Itself isn't completed. Wrong, just wrong. They should have just killed of Sin, no one likes her anyway, and I really don't see much people having interest in this Fear Itself sequel. Let's face it, it will have no significance at all, with big events coming such as Avengers: X-Sanction, and 2012's the Age of Ultron. This Fear Itself sequel is nothing but a waste of time.

Overall, Fear Itself was a sound concept, we had very unique teasers showcasing what our heroes fear most. We didn't get any of that. We knew what Marvel was aiming for in this event, we knew that they wanted to make it grounded in the public's view. It was meant to be the opposite of Final Crisis. It was meant to be more from our point of view, what fear feels like. It failed. Fear Itself failed as an event. DC's Justice League and Detective Comics has more of a high-quality feel when compared to some of Marvel's all-star books, like Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man. It's sad. Marvel needs to step it up now, I hope they've learned from this, and start to produce high-quality stuff like they use to.

Thanks for reading.

Week in Review: Iron Man and Wolverine Series Finales and Look-Back

After twelve episodes, the Iron Man anime has finished. It was by far the most popular and least-bashed of the two. I myself have enjoyed both, but more on that soon. I will present to you first my review of the series finale. Some major spoilers for both reviews.

The plot is coming to a close, with the death of Captain Sakurai, Tony is ready for the big battle. The stage is set for the final conflict between him and ZODIAC leader Minister Kuroda.

This episode had it all. Big fights, lots of drama, and Tony Stark showing everyone why's he's Iron Man. A very cool part with Dr. Tanaka was her transformation into a ZODIAC member. Though at the beginning, her getting suicidal didn't feel right, it felt forced. I was a bit surprised by her death, though it makes sense, since she technically can't interfere with whatever this show's continuity's in. There was this cheesy scene where Stark somehow got new strength to beak free of Kuroda and fly into the sky, just a bit too cheesy if you ask me.

I really liked Tony in this episode. While so many things are happening, he doesn't crack or get too emotional.  Prime Minister Kuroda is a decent villain, but lacking the pizzazz Yinsen brought. His armor is still pretty awesome. The other characters, such as Nanami, still bring nothing to the table.

Overall, this episode was definitely one of, if not the best episode of the series. It's a fine closure, with some epic fights backing it up. There might have been a bit TOO much melodramatic, but the fights and Tony keep this episode from getting drained by it.

9/10.

Looking back, the Iron Man anime was a success. It provided a very good portrayal of Tony Stark, with the animation and fights being top-notch. ZODIAC was a good choice for the villains, since them being an established force in the comics. The problem was that a member would appear each episode, and die very fast. No characterization, only Minister Kuroda and Yinsen are get any real character. Useless characters, like Nanami could have been cut, since she and some others have no significance. The romance between Stark and Dr. Tanaka felt a bit forced, it could have used a little more build-up. The whole Yinsen thing was unexpected, and got fans angry. This guy wouldn't have turned evil, so I didn't like it either. (I forgave it once we found out the power controlled him.) This show succeeds in having real drama and sad flashbacks, not to mention the awesome fights. (I think I mentioned that.) It would have been nice to get to know Captain Sakurai more, he was portrayed as the "cool cat," but ultimately failed, becoming more laughable than anything. Still, his suit was pretty awesome. The Iron Man anime was a good watch, I would recommend it to fans and non-fans alike.

The series gets an 8/10.

Ah, now for Wolverine. While you might hear some good things about Iron Man, Wolverine gets bashed A LOT. I fully understand, and will address those things in the look-back, after my review of the series finale.

The plot comes to a close as Logan and Shingen duke it out for a battle of ages.

My major thing with this episode was WHY IS WOLVERINE SO DARN WEAK?! Seriously, this bald samurai guy was slaughtering him, Wolverine got knocked around, it was almost unbearable. I can't get over how pitiful they made him. If this was a comic, Wolverine would have eradicated that guy in under five minutes.

They really do try to make Kurohagi an interesting character, flashbacks and everything. It fails miserably. This guy is one of the most un-threatening beings in existence. Mariko continues to be an even more useless damsel in distress than Princess Zelda herself. Kikyo is one of this show's saving graces, bringing something new to the table every time he's on screen. Yukio gets a moment of glory, and an unbelievable plot twist that I never saw coming. Wow.

The fight between Wolvie and Shingen was good, but could have been a lot better, The fights in general with this show could have been better. Nice music though.

Overall, the final episode of Wolverine was a bit underwhelming. Mariko dies, therefore this whole story feels like a waste now. At most, a decent finish, but the ending felt un-fulfilled.

6/10.

Looking back, the Wolverine anime was a lot more mixed. The Wolverine portrayed here seems to be more easy going and more of a "dude" than the hardcore one us fans are use to. The Wolverine in this show would better fit in something like Bleach. It doesn't help that he looks so darn weak. (And don't get me started on the voice.) Only thugs he seems to be able to beat easily, everyone else he has trouble with. It doesn't help that whereas in Iron Man, Tony Stark is always the main focus, Logan is put to the side in favor of the journey and side characters. The sometimes awful writing is a major downside. In the middle of his battle with Vadhaka in one of the later episodes, he randomly says "I'm the best there is at what I do, but I what do is-" before getting slapped away by the statue. What? We got a very nice appearance from Cyclops, the dialogue between him and Wolvie ranks as the best scene in the whole show. A lot of the side characters work, and succeed at being interesting to watch. Kikyo is by far one of the best characters in the show. But what on earth happened to his final battle with Logan?! The show kept hyping it up, but there was no pay-off! Major fail there. It's hard to recommend the Wolverine anime. I think non-fans would enjoy it better than us fans. Still, it was great to see him slice and dice with no Y7 rating holding him back for whatever reason.

I give this show a 6/10.

Week in Review: Iron Man and Wolverine G4

The Iron Man anime has been a good watch thus far. Keeping true to the character, mixing with some great fight scenes makes this series worthy of the Iron Man name. (Unlike a certain other series currently airing on Nicktoons.) We are three episodes away from the end, I'm kinda disappointed to see it go. So, how does this episode compare? Was it better than last week's average one?

This one was an important one, we find out why Yinsen really dislikes Tony, we also find out his plan. This guy has emerged as the main villain, for Zodiac is behind the scenes, but their people lose in about five minutes every time. Yinsen is really the only one with a threatening presence.

I'll be honest, I mainly watch this show for the fights. While a certain other show is tame with the battles, this show lets you have it. Surprisgly, the last couple of episodes were lacking really stand-out fights. We got a nice, but super short last time with Stark and Captain Sakurai , but a lot of the episodes are lacking scope. The first couple had some really good ones, but for awhile, lackluster. After some episodes of that, this one is the payoff. This is one action-filled one, the most actually. We get some satisfying action between Stark and his blue counterpart. The animation is really solid, I'll give a hand to Japan for that, they know how to do fights well.

Just cause there's lot of punching and banging doesn't mean the plot stays still, we get a few ramifications, AND a big cliffhanger.

Yinsen still comes off as forced, even with the flashback. This whole thing with him still doesn't look right, to bring him back in the first place was an odd idea. Unexpected for sure, but I think unwise. He comes off as brash, for it's obvious what Tony was saying, is he really that stubborn that he can't see what's in front of him? I hope all this time he's half-brain washed or something. Adrian Pasdar continues to do a great job with Tony, unlike the other anime, this voice fits the character well. His portrayal has been super, matching more of the early 2000's Stark with just a hint of the movie's version. (In short, he's serious, but knows how to take the whole system of things and make it funny.)

Zodiac is a real organization from the comics. (I know them personally from the 90's Avengers show.) Their inclusion in this show was welcome, but they really haven't done anything. Each of their members are the definition of one-shot, they get cleaned off in about five minutes with no characterization whatsoever. Their just plot devices and nothing more. Seriously, Yinsen is the only real threat right now.

The other characters actually don't do much. Chika goes back to being in the building giving orders and warnings, the romance between her and Stark isn't touched upon. I wonder, with three episodes left, how far can they go with it? Tony will most likely leave Japan......and will she come? Or is this a passing thing for good ol' Mr. Stark? The supposed to be "cool guy" Captain Sakurai appears, though does nothing. The anime makes him to be the "rival" and the "cool cat," but it hasn't worked for me. He's trying to be epic, but really, it fails. That suit he has is awesome, but so far, underused. Hopefully we'll get some action with it next episode.

Overall, this episode of Iron Man might just be the most important, and best. Great fights, great script, this show has been good with the drama too. You should definitely be checking this out, fan or not.

8/10.

The Wolverine anime has been more mixed. I have read a lot of hate for this show, and I can understand. Iron Man's obviously the better show, better pacing, the plot moves smoother, and the character is better adapted. This episode is purely a prelude to a big fight, so it really didn't have much.

This show has been very fast-paced, but surprisingly, there haven't been that many fights to write home about. I don't like the frequent use of stills, and this episode was no different. Again, thugs are the ones Wolverine dishes out his claws on, so nothing big here.

This episode is basically used to get Wolverine from the beginning to the end of the road. Along the way, thugs and traps. We do learn that the Underground movement is even more sneaky than thought. Still, Wolverine's script is fun enough to get us the whole way through without boredom kicking in.

Speaking of Wolverine. The character himself has been a complaint. I could see why and agree with some of the points. First of all, the voice. He doesn't sound like the deep mean Wolverine, he sounds like a dude on a skateboard. Would it have been really hard to hire Steven Blum? Kurohagi continues to be the most annoying and unbearable villain in existence. When he's trying to be menacing it's so laughable because you know he's one of the weakest beings ever. Seriously, anyone can stop this guy, even a mindless thug. Mariko continues to be the most useless damsel in distress ever since Princess Peach. She gets some more useless inner monologue. Yukio makes this show a heck lot more interesting, the dynamic between her and Logan is fun. Without her, this show might just be dull.

The pay-off is the cliffhanger at the end, with the only cool villain, kikyo. This guy could pass off as someone from Bleach, complete with the long hair and strange sword move. Still, the only villain from the comics that has appeared so far is Omega Red, (not counting A.I.M.) it would have been nice to see some others. I was confused when this series took place. I thought it took place in Logan's early days, but no, his call for Cyclops three episodes ago says that this is in his X-Men days. (The scene in the Blackbird still ranks as the best in the whole show thus far.) This Wolverine seems to be more care-free than the one we're use to. Still, it's nice to see him dish out his claws with no holding back, something his past animated appearances does.

Overall, this episode is probably my least favorite, it's really just used to get him across the road. This show has been hit-or-miss. (A lot of miss I've been reading.) I have been enjoying it, though I will say that it has a lot of flaws. Casual people will probably like this show, but the die-hard purists, (as seen in the comments and forums) cannot stand anything about it.

5/10.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review

Ah, Marvel vs. Capcom 3. This is the third in that series, and one of the most awaited games in the last decade. These games are known for their super addictive gameplay and their outrageous combos and finishers. This is where the hardcore gamers come in for some hours of brawling. This game had some pretty big hype, with a monthly countdown of the characters, this was meant to be the big all-out fighting game of the century. Does it succeed? Continue reading to find out.

I rented this game for a weekend a few months ago, (as of September 7th, I now own it) and it was some of the most fun I've ever had. The gameplay is just so wild and fun, that it's just hard to put the controller down. I tell myself that this battle would be the last battle, but I find myself wanting to do another one right after. Indeed, this game is probably the most fun and addictive fighting game I've ever played.

But it's not perfect.

Read this quote I took from an interview about the game's plot. ".....when we really started, the only thing we had in mind was that particular style of American comic, and the fact we put more weight behind the story came afterwards."

Really? REALLY?!

In another interview, they actually had the audacity to call the game's story "deep." Alright, before it came out, that was a major factor for me. I was expecting a big cutscene-driven story mode, and what did we get? Arcade. That's what we got. Simple arcade mode, with no story behind it. Just battles after battles.

The whole plot is basically told through these short "movies" you unlock. They are pretty spectacular, boasting some awesome graphics and great action. These videos were the ones they released during the months, so it gave you the illusion of a big story mode. Major fail there. Sure, you'll probably tell me that you don't buy a fighting game for its story mode, you buy it for fighting. True.....but this is not just an arcade game where you pop in a few quarters and use a joystick for a few rounds. This is a 60$ next gen game, I'm going to need more than a little arcade mode. Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl set the standards for a story within a fighting game, why couldn't this game follow it? This game is NOT story driven at all, despite what you might have heard.

The game boasts a great amount of characters.....um, excuse me, I meant an unacceptable amount. The previous game had 56, but this game is downgraded to 36. The excuse here is that the previous game had lots of "clones" for characters. (For non-video game people, clones are characters that use the same moveset as another character.) Fine, but that's still no excuse. Fighting games are supposed to have more characters as they go along. Super Smash Bros. Brawl had 35, nine more than its previous entry. Heck, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 has over 100! You're going to tell me that you couldn't have surpassed 36? Nonsense.

Regarding the characters, they picked decently. However, you have to wonder why they would pick Taskmaster over Venom. I mean really? Yes, I was hugely disappointed that Spidey's nemesis didn't make the cut. Not even Carnage or Anti-Venom! Instead, we get MODOK. Who wants to play as a giant head? Not me. Capcom left out their own mascot, Megaman. The excuse? "He doesn't have enough powers." That.....that's just sad. I think Capcom wants to distance itself from Megaman completely. (Sorry Legends 3.)

I've been mocking this game a lot, haven't I? Don't get me wrong, it's still one of the most fun games you'll ever play. I never got the first two Marvel vs. Capcoms, (played those bad boys in the arcade a few times on vacation) so this whole thing was relatively new for me. Thanks to my old PS1 game Marvel Super Heroes, I learned pretty quickly. This game is one of those games where it's so easy to get completely annihilated if you don't get into the combos and really know the controls. The game features this beginner mode where the controls are simple for the rookie. I'd say skip that and just get to know the controls from a bunch of vs. rounds.

I played a few online matches in the game, and I would have to say that it has the greatest online mode I've ever played. Opponents come in fast, and there is no lag whatsoever. It's almost as if you were playing a local match! Nintendo could take a few pointers from this, their online really is bad sometimes. (I'm looking at you TMNT Smashup.)

In the battles, it's all about finding out what your best team is. It's good to play around with several different characters, each is very different. I use Spider-Man, Zero, and Iron Man. Spidey, cause he's my all-time favorite character, Zero, cause his sword skills I put to great use, and Iron Man for his uni-beam and finisher. A lot of times in fighting games, there seems to be a certain "unbalance." Like, if you are a pro with Sentinel, chances are that you would be very, very hard to beat. Like with Smash Bros, I notice that a lot of the pros use Meta Knight, cause he is definitely the most unbalanced of the roster, making him a superior character. MVC3 does a pretty good job with that, if you play your cards right, Sentinel won't be a problem. (Key: Iron Man's missiles and Zero's sword.)

I like how Marvel made sure to include nice references for the fans. If Cap beats Iron Man in a battle, he would say, "Just like Civil War!" It's those little moments that make this game shine. (Not to mention that it puts a smile on your face.) At the end of arcade mode, you have (you probably know this already) Galactus as the final boss. I'll give arcade mode props to that, the final boss is EPIC. Each character has their own ending, which was nice. (It doesn't make up for no story mode.)

Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is lacking in two severe categories: story and characters. They said that it would be story driven. Nope. I could forgive characters if Venom was included. (Fine, call me biased.) However, it still is probably the greatest fighting game to come out in the last ten years, good luck trying to put down the controller. It's also a lot more fun when you have someone to play with, trust me on that. Fast-paced, great characters, and a good amount of stages makes this game worth the money.

I give Marvel vs. Capcom 3 an 8/10.

My Most Anticipated Movie of the Decade

Ah, the Avengers. A movie I, and the rest of the comic community have always dreamed of. Let's face it, the Avengers has always been the thing that we thought would never hit the cinema.

Then Marvel Studios launched their universe with Iron Man in 2008.

Thus began what is known as the "Marvel Cinematic Universe." I would always play with my old Marvel Legends action figures, pretending it was a movie, never thinking that for one moment something big as the Avengers could hit the theater. I was wrong, and glad. Watching the events unfold in Iron Man was truly something else, but the after-credits scene was what got me and the rest of fan base shouting for joy. Hearing the words "Avenger Initiative" was something else. Sadly, I saw the leaked version a few weeks before I saw it in the theater, wish I could go back in time and switch that for more of a surprise. After the credits, some of the theater staff even walked in and said we'll have to wait four more years for Avengers. Talk about hype.

Doesn't seeing that picture make you die from anticipation? Seeing Cap there in the front, with Iron Man and Thor doing their thing, Here we have all of them together, not from a comic book, but from the film. Iron Man 2 came out two years after the first, and the after-credits scene there with Thor's hammer was truly awesome. Marvel was truly hyping this up. Then the following year both Thor AND Captain America released. (Sorry DC, you were destroyed this summer.) In Thor, we have Loki who is set up for Avengers as the villain. Then in Cap, it truly begins. We even got a trailer.

I, a longtime Marvel Comics fan, still to this day cannot believe it is happening. Currently, the rumors persist on what the other threat is. Skrulls, a monster.....or something else. We'll know soon enough. Seeing all of the characters come together under one shared universe is going to be something I'll never forget.

But it is not my most anticipated movie of the decade.

You're thinking "What?!" Avengers is something I've always wanted to see, but my favorite character has always been Spider-Man. So my most anticipated movie is the Amazing Spi-

No, this is my most anticipated film of the decade.

Yes, GODZILLA. Allow me to explain.

Godzilla is the longest running film series in cinema history, with 28 films starting back in 1954. Giant monsters, outrageous plots and designs, the franchise has evolved from the crazy Showa era, to the serious Heisei, to the modern Millennium. The three main things I grew up with were Marvel, Godzilla, and Mario. Over the past years I've grown a great fondness and complete loyalty to the Godzilla franchise. Revisiting films, analyzing everything.....I am the definition of a hardcore Godzilla fan. When it was announced that he will be getting a new theatrical film, I didn't know what to think. The first thing that hit me was "Awesome!" Then I saw that Legendary Studios would be doing it. America failed to bring the big G to American audiences last time, back in 98. Over the past couple of months, I have gained faith in this film. They specifically said that they will not be doing something like the 98 film. AND the real kicker is that the big G will fight another monster. That's what set the news for me. With today's effects, a giant monster brawl would be the most epic thing to grace the big screen.

One thing that I'm still unsure about is the director. Gareth Edwards, the directer of low-budget film MONSTERS. Now, I saw that thing last year, and I didn't like it all that much. It was a good film, but the title is misleading in that the actual movie is a drama masquerading as a monster movie. Based on interviews, the director seems to know what he's doing, I want to see a lot of monster destruction, it's why we're all here. He seems to get that so far from what I'm hearing.

And finally, this will be my first Godzilla film in the theater. Watching Thor in the IMAX really got me thinking how awesome a Godzilla film would look.

Overall, the Avengers is by far a film I'm dying to see, but it's Godzilla's return to the movie world I'm most looking forward to. Well, thanks for reading this little post of mine.