DC’s Event Leviathan Flounders with Finale

Event Leviathan #6 | Written by Brian Michael Bendis | Art by Alex Maleev | DC Comics

The biggest mystery plaguing the DC Universe reaches its conclusion. Who is Leviathan? We finally get our answer.

“I’m sorry, I don’t recognize you,” unfortunately, encapsulates the magnitude of the reveal when Superman used his x-way vision to peek under the hood.

Unmasking the villain needs to be a shocking experience.

Instead, Bendis used the moment to bring an obscure character to prominence.

That could have worked.

However, we never saw Leviathan actually do anything. Explosions, weird energy fields, and the collapse of the intelligence community wielded massive results.

Yet, Leviathan is never seen pulling the trigger himself or getting his hands dirty. He talked a big game and had people do his bidding. If Leviathan was going to roll up his sleeves finally, this was the time to do it. Instead, he retreats once he realized Superman would never join his cause.

I’m sorry, but how many times has Superman been fed the “Tear down the world to make it better” speech?

A lot would be the answer.

Its as if the characters in the book failed to realize something the reader has known about Earth’s greatest hero. I thought something different would have presented itself. Perhaps an argument that was fresh and compelling. Something to make Superman waver, even for a few fleeting seconds, would have given readers something to chew on.

Leviathan was portrayed as someone who is always five steps; however, he put all of his eggs in one red and blue basket. That doesn’t sound very smart al all.

The leaks that appeared online last month regarding Leviathan’s identity were correct.

I hoped they were wrong; however, it seemed too apparent after really thinking about it. The ending of the book is the beginning, as there is more to come from Leviathan. That would have been cool if I actually cared about the person in question. Leviathan peaced out once Superman turned him down.

Why would I be intrigued about any threat he could pose to Supes or the Justice League going forward?

Bendis is in the Leviathan business for the long haul. I hope he can bring something that will have an impact because, unfortunately, this wasn’t it.

Does Krypton Soar?

Krypton debuted on the SYFY channel this week with a family story where the past and the present collide to dictate the future. Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, learns of an impending threat to destroy Krypton, all to prevent the birth of his future grandson.

When I first learned of this new series, I wondered if it would only appeal to die-hard Superman fans.

I’m a die-hard Superman fan, so that wouldn’t bother me. However, for this show to succeed long-term, it can’t just rest on the laurels of its mythology.

Continue reading “Does Krypton Soar?”

Justice League: Review

Divisive is the name of the game when it comes to DC Comics’ films. Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, and Suicide Squad all received mixed reviews. Wonder Woman was a bonafide hit with everyone, but now it’s back to the status quo with the latest film in the series, Justice League.

Digital mustache removal, crappy CGI, inept story, and a botched Superman resurrection led to a massive critical lambasting of the film. Bad reviews don’t scare me out of seeing a movie because I need to see it for myself before casting judgment.

Is Justice League another step down for the DCEU? Is Justice League worth your time and hard-earned money? I’m here to report that Justice League is freaking amazing despite any minor problems, and these issues do not distract from an enjoyable movie. Continue reading “Justice League: Review”

Superman vs. Aliens

The year is 1995 and like many teenagers entering high school, football practice, parties, social status, pro wrestling, (which didn’t bode well for my social status) and that pesky thing called homework occupied my time and took me out of the comic book game.

That didn’t stop me from noticing the onslaught of promotional material, whenever I would walk by my local comic book shop for the first DC/Dark Horse crossover featuring the Man of Steel and the Alien Xenomorphs from the film series.

For the first time, the Dark Horse Comics/DC: Superman, a 400-page trade paperback version of this intergalactic smackdown as well as other cross company collaborations featuring Superman, has been released just in time for the 30th anniversary of the sci-fi blockbuster Aliens.

Featuring a cover promoting Superman fighting Aliens seems a little misleading, as I was surprised that the second half of the book has nothing to do with the Alien franchise. The stories of Superman/Tarzan: Son of the Jungle and Superman/Madman Hullabaloo do little to augment the event advertised on the cover. Superman vs. Aliens and the 2002 sequel Superman vs. Aliens: God War spearheads this collection.

Click here to read the entire review at Forces of Geek.com

The Greatest vs. The Man of Steel

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The world lost a true icon when Muhammad Ali passed away last Friday after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. The three-time world heavyweight champion transcended the sport of boxing in part due to his memorable in-ring battles.

“The Fight of the Century” against Joe Frazier divided a nation while “The Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman united another. Perhaps, in his most courageous outing, “The Fight to Save Earth” pitted Ali against the Man of Steel himself, Superman.

CLICK HERE to read more of this column at the all new Forces of Geek.com

My Declaration for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice needs to be a great film, not a good film because good isn’t good enough. While this movie will establish the shared DC Films Universe, planting the seeds for future flicks with an Easter egg here and a cameo there is ancillary.

I want a movie that is worthy of the titular characters on the marquee while awakening my eight-year-old self. This film needs to finally settle every “who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman” argument I’ve ever had without dis-serving the iconic reputation of either hero. Continue reading “My Declaration for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

Actors Who’ve Played Batman and Superman

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a mere two weeks away and some micro reviews of the film have already hit the web. While I’m not going to discuss them here, now would be a good time to look titular roles. Many actors have played Batman and Superman, respectively, and it’s hard not to compare actor A to actor B. Some have done wonders for the role while others were forgettable.

We’ve seen Henry Cavill as Superman, but this time we will get to know him as reporter Clark Kent. Ben Affleck casting as Batman almost started World War III when it was announced almost three years ago. Rumors and trailer footage all points to Afflack giving us a remarkable Batman, but see the film in its entirety will paint a clear picture.

Going back to the comparing game, we have to remember that these are two different incarnations of these iconic characters. Superman is still coming to terms with being mankind’s savior, which is something he took to rather easily in earlier films. Batman is older, grieving, and more brutal than ever before.

Without further ado, let’s look at some of the actors who’ve played Superman and followed by those who portrayed the bat of Gotham.  Continue reading “Actors Who’ve Played Batman and Superman”

Thoughts on the Final Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer

The final trailer Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice dropped yesterday, and it’s perfect in every way! Not only does it show that the marketing is now clearly on the fight we’re paying to see, it also primarily focuses on Batman. Sounds kind of unfair considering he shares the marquee with Superman. Nope, and I’ll tell you why.

We’ve already seen what Superman brings to the table as a character in Man of Steel. This trailer gave us our first real peak at what kind of Batman we can expect. He was the supreme fighting machine in every way imaginable, and it was awesome!

Batman blocking Superman’s punch is the money shot of the trailer. The look of disbelief on Henry Cavill’s face absolutely sells this moment to the highest magnitude. It tells us that %$#@ is about to go down and that March 25th can’t get here fast enough!

Click here for my special look at Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns at Forces of Geek.com

Krypto: SUPERman’s Best Friend

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There is a lot of news coming out about the upcoming Batman V Superman movie regarding various characters who may or may not be in the film. Wonder Woman is confirmed, Aquaman and Doomsday are heavily rumored, and even secondary Batman villain KGBeast might make an appearance. However, I couldn’t help but notice that a certain super-powered canine was missing from the rumor mill.  Continue reading “Krypto: SUPERman’s Best Friend”

Superman: Earth One, Volume 3 Review

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Superman: Earth One, Volume 3 | Writer: J. Michael Straczynski | Artist: Ardian Syaf | Inker: Sandra Hope | Colorist: Barbara Ciardo | Publisher: DC Comics | From my column at Forces Of Geek.com

Superman is more than a comic book character who saves the day by leaping into action in a single bound.

He is an ideal that we all strive for every single day. At least, that is what most people would have told you several years ago.

In 2015, the general consensus was that he’s too powerful, and therefore he’s boring and unrelatable.

When you peel back all the layers of contempt that didn’t exist a generation ago, the answer is more intuitive than a super-powered skill set. The affluence of Superman’s deeds still causes us to look inward, but instead of finding inspiration, we see an underlying arrogance in the ease of his endeavors.

That is how much of an imprint The Man of Steel has on our culture: that we look beyond the obvious nature of truth and justice only to see a pronounced representation of what we can’t do. Continue reading “Superman: Earth One, Volume 3 Review”