Fish and Cherries Productions

The following film was viewed at an official screening at San Diego Comic Con 2014 and was in no way involved with any illicit obtainment of the product.

Batman: Assault on Arkham takes place in the universe of the Batman Arkham games and has a fun premise: a group of supervillains on the government’s leash called the Suicide Squad is ordered to break into Arkham Asylum while Batman is in the peripheral focus in an Ocean’s Eleven-style heist story. Unfortunately, the movie drops the ball quite heavily, particularly when the plot gets essentially hijacked by Batman and the Joker in the second half and the characters we’ve been following have to fight for relevance. Also, the “fun” in the premise is quickly lost with all of the pointless shock deaths that occur, some of which include a rather endearing character or two, for the sake of being “serious” and “mature.” In fact, I’m not even sure whether or not one of the characters died or not. It was rather confusing. Also, I hate to beat the DC Comic and women horse even further, but dear GOD, I don’t think either of women in this movie were treated as anything other than sexual desires or counterbalances to a guy in the movie. Badass and combat capable sexual desires, but that bonus can only take you so far. There’s one scene where Killer Frost has to pass as a corpse to get into Arkham and one of the guards straight up leers at her naked body. I’m not making this up. The guy straight up leers at a CORPSE. This is not a human reaction unless the guard is a necrophiliac and if that’s the case, why would anyone, even an incompetently guarded place like Arkham, employ them in the morgue. Furthermore, the opportunity to have the numerous personalities on the squad play off each other is wasted by having the movie mostly go through action scenes constantly and having almost zero character development. There’s one entertaining quiet scene between Deadshot and Captain Boomerang near the beginning, but that chemistry doesn’t hold throughout the movie. The logic’s a bit dodgy in places too. The animation and action scenes are beautiful to look at, but that’s the standard for the DC Animated movies. There’s also no point talking about Kevin Conroy as Batman and C. C. H. Pounder as Amanda Waller, since they are rarely anything other than excellent and this was no exception, but I will say that this is where Troy Baker really shaved off the rough edges and came into his own as the Joker. Overall, though, I wouldn’t give this a glowing recommendation. The genius of Bruce Timm is well missed in these latest animated movies and the dynamic characters are all but lost amidst poor handiwork and a muddled and far too grim script. If you were looking for a fun action heist, I think this will leave you dry. But if you’re looking for a grim and serious Batman animated movie, then I would recommend putting in Batman: Under The Red Hood instead.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a conflicting movie, but an overall good one. Caesar returns as Andy Serkis’ outstanding role as the apes have begun developing their own culture while humanity is struggling not to slip into devastation. The parts with the ape civilization are honestly the best parts of the movie, with all the dialogue taking place in sign language with rarely a spoken word. The humans, on the other hand, are a little bland, even though they are sympathetic. In a way, it harkens back to WALL-E, though the quiet period doesn’t last quite as long and the humans aren’t colorful enough to stand out. But the film falls into one of my least favorite tropes behind the Amnesia Reset Button, which is the trigger-happy/xenophobic/take your pick asshole who screws things up for both civilizations (see the Doctor Who episode “Cold Blood” for this trope in action). This time, we get not one asshole, but three, one of whom turning out to be the villain, so I get a three-for-one sale on something I didn’t want to the first place. Hooray. Like the first movie, the action pieces are astounding and quite brutal, but there are also some really grim, almost holocaustian scenes that stay for just a bit too long. So I’m a bit mixed on this movie, but there was still enough quality to consider it good. I’d recommend you see it for the sequel at least, because make no mistake, there WILL be a sequel.

Chef grabbed me from the very first shot and continued to take me on a wonderful journey. As someone who enjoys cooking, the shots focusing on making food (which the internet calls “food porn”) were right up my alley, but there was so much more to love, especially the dynamic between Carl, played by Jon Favreau, and his son as their relationship continues to evolve. Creative types will be able to connect and learn from a lot of things in this movie, like satisfaction on the job, dealing with harsh criticism, and the danger of getting so sucked into your work that you lose touch with those closest to you. Carl goes through all of these and while he isn’t the most likable person at first, you really start feeling for him at some point or another. Another standout moment is the technology gap between the adults and the kids and how it’s used to further the plot in more ways than the traditional “those darn kids” route. But my favorite part had to be John Legguizamo’s character, who was the likable and fun best friend and surrogate uncle. Every scene with him was just a delight. There are only two nitpicks I have: most of the side characters in the beginning don’t come back or pay off later in the movie and the final scene left me feeling a little strange, like it felt good, but I’m wondering if it wasn’t a bit underdeveloped. Overall, though, it was a really great experience. I think this deserves just as much recognition than the standard blockbuster, even if more people probably went to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on the weekend they both opened. And if you want to know what I thought of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, well…

Title: Starman Omnibus, Volume V
Author: James Robinson
Type: Comic Book
Genre: Superhero

Summary: The DC Universe is a tough place, and it’s even tougher when you’re the child of a former superhero. But Jack Knight, son of the Golden Age Starman Ted Knight, is having no trouble filling his father’s shoes and defending the majestic Opal City from terror and harm. But he has to put that on hold for a bit: acting on a promise from his girlfriend to find her long-lost brother, Jack is taking to the stars with a few allies to find him. While the police and a few unlikely acquaintences try and keep the city safe, Jack, Mikaal, and a computer imitating his dad go across space and even time searching for Thom Kallor, the lost Starman.

Jack Knight is one of my favorite narrative voices to listen to, alongside Harry Dresden. Both have very distinct voices that sound like real people and both have interesting insights about the powers they’ve been gifted with. These are my favorite types of characters, the ones I’d like to invite over and go a few round of X-Box with*. In this chronicle of Jack’s story, he shows a growing maturity in the face of countless odds, many of which are literally alien to him.

*Granted, Harry’s magic would destroy the X-Box just by him being near it, but that’s not the point.

But Jack isn’t the only great character in this ensemble. Starman is populated by dozens of colorful characters, some of whom’s skin tone can be found on the Roy G. Biv spectrum. My personal favorite will always be the Shade, the classiest immortal anti-hero this side of a Sephiroth fan fiction. Starman also manages to keep the rosters fresh by various guest stars from the rest of the DC Universe popping in. Captain Marvel, Adam Strange, the Legion of Superheroes, and Even Superman’s ancestors bring in their own charm to make an excellent series even moreso.

Normally, with the Starman Omnibuses, there are a few stories in one book because each one encompasses a sixth of the comic’s entire run. Volume 5 is an odd duck in that it has one arching plot throughout the whole book. As such, the thing felt like it dragged in more than a few places; the story doesn’t really develop in a relevant way until the end and everything else is more or less filler. It’s still good filler, though, and it is an absolutely minor nitpick in a very good story.

James Robinson’s Starman set the bar for quality when it came out in the 90s and few since then have managed to pass it. Beautiful artwork, intriguing characters, and a gripping story are only a few of its numerous qualities. My only regret is that I have one more omnibus before the journey is over…

A Brony Tale is a heartfelt documentary looking at the phenomenon that sprung up after 2010, as well as voice actress Ashleigh Ball’s initial exposure to the fandom. The first word that springs to mind when thinking of this movie is “pleasant;” everything from the music to the shot composition to the music invokes a feeling of being welcome and friendliness. This is especially true when the movie simply glosses over the harsh media coverage that has painted bronies in a bad light over the years, while other documentaries would have devoted a section to covering it and rebuking it. Not A Brony Tale. It stays true to its name and make the bronies the focus, from personal perspectives coming from The Manliest Brony In The World, the head of Equestria Daily, and a military man who lost himself in Iraq and found himself again through the show, to outsider perspectives like Ashleigh Ball herself and the psychologist sharing his stories about passionate patients and even his own son. Brent Hodge, the filmmaker himself, admitted in a Q&A that he doesn’t love the show but finds the sense of community in the fandom so wonderful and it shows. There are few documentaries that make you feel good to be alive and this is one of them. The DVD comes out soon and I highly recommend a watch.

Ladies and gentlemen…

Who has two thumbs and got featured on an interview segment for another blog?

THIS GUY!!

http://www.musehack.com/blog/2014/07/colin-eldred-cohen-author.html

A man named Steven Savage was gracious enough to interview me because he liked what I did and now it’s featured on one of his websites. I am very grateful for the opportunity to touch base with him and hope to work with him again in the future. Check it out and see my thoughts and journeys in writing.

Title: Green Lantern: The Wrath of the First Lantern
Author: Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi, Tony Bedard, Peter Milligan
Type: Comic Book
Genre: Superhero, Space Opera

Summary: Let me tell you about a man named Geoff Johns.

Geoff Johns is a writer at DC Comics who is currently the Chief Creative Officer at the company. But back in 2004, he was just a writer who was brought on to the Green Lantern book to fix a horrible mistake made a decade prior. See, there was a story where the Green Lantern known as Hal Jordan was turned evil and killed off as a publicity stunt that went over horribly with the critics and the audiences. Geoff Johns was given the opportunity to fix this and he struck gold.

After his Rebirth story, he knocked it out of the park again with the Green Lantern story Sinestro Corps War and again in 2009 with the company-wide crossover Blackest Night. Now, with his final story in his run of Green Lantern, Wrath of the First Lantern, Johns has shown us that lightning can strike four times.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps had just defeated the Third Army, an attempt by their overseers the Guardians’ at creating a completely subservient force – but their destruction led to a reawakening of Volthoom, the first of the Lanterns under the Emotional Spectrum. Fueled by his anger at the Guardians for imprisoning him for eons, he strives to tear down everything they have built and presided over, which pretty much means all of reality.

But Volthoom doesn’t strike down his foes with swords, lasers, or armies, rather with their own inner demons, forcing them to relive painful memories and even twist them to have different outcomes that feel just as real, all the while draining their emotions to slowly become godlike. It’s up to Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Carol Ferris, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, and even their former foes Sinestro and Atrocitus to fight back and stop a mad god.

What people have to understand before going on is that this is actually a collection of four different comic lines tied together in the same story: Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns. As such, it alternates between the titles after each issue. Unlike Rise of the Third Army, which was a far less pleasant story, this one actually makes the story seem much more grand and connects to make the narrative feel fleshed out. This is especially amazing when you consider that not a lot happens in this story, but that gives them time to give all the characters the focus they need and make their struggle truly meaningful.

Sadly, the weak link comes in the form of the Red Lanterns title. The events concerning Volthoom have to share time with a subplot involving Rankorr – the first human Red Lantern – discovering his purpose and I will freely admit, I don’t care about this character. His plight does not match the epic tone of the series or hopeful feeling at the end and feels like an unnecessary afterthought, like the writer was only half committed to the events of this title-shaking crossover. All in all, it’s a malignant tumor on what was nearly a perfect book.

Framing a good chunk of the story as a cross between a clip show and a collection of what if scenarios was a brilliant way to bring the continuity of the past ten years to the forefront to lead up to one final, gratifying hurrah. I will admit that I wish that the final epilogue of what happened to all the characters was the last thing we read in the book rather than the Red Lanterns issue, but given the way the book was structured, I understand that was impossible. While the epilogue is a feel-good masterpiece, a big part of me worries that DC will do something that contradicts it, killing or mentally scaring one of the characters to make a big story seem gritty and adult.

But what DC does in the future is not important. This is about Geoff Johns – the greatest of all the Green Lantern writers. The inspiration he left behind continues to burn bright. He was the spark that started the everlasting fire.

Dear Mr. Watterson is a heartwarming and emotional reflection on the legendary comic strip Calvin and Hobbes and its ever-growing impact. As an avid Calvin and Hobbes fan for as long as I can remember, it drudged up many old feelings, from wonder at the amazing art to sadness as the film discussed the famous final strip. Even the more informative selections about the artistic influences on the strip and Watterson’s refusal to license his creations were packed full of emotions and made you empathize with the man, even though you hadn’t met him. Like the comic strip itself, Dear Mr. Watterson fills you with a special kind of wonder and comes highly recommended from someone who doesn’t particularly care for documentaries. Just get ready to yearn for a stuffed tiger to clutch when “the feels” hit.

Title: Skin Game
Author: Jim Butcher
Type: Novel
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Summary: Harry Dresden was Chicago’s only professional wizard detective. But then he made a deal with Mab, Queen of the Winter Fae, and became her knight, murdered his lover to save their daughter Maggie, died, came back, orchestrated the death of Mab’s possessed daughter, lost his former apprentice Molly to the Winter Court as her replacement, and imposed an exile on himself to a magical, dangerous island in the middle of Lake Michigan. And that was before this book.

Mab calls upon Harry’s services to help square away one of her debts to Nicodemus Archleone of the Knights of the Blackened Denarius (holders of one of Judas’ thirty pieces of silver that each contain a fallen angel), one of Harry’s deadliest foes. Worse still, the job is to help Nichodemus break into Hades’ personal vault and steal the Holy Grail, thus potentially incurring the wrath of the Greek Underworld. The rules of the Fae bind Harry to helping Nicodemus see his plan through, but Mab reminds him in private that the gloves are off once the deed is done. In short, she wants Harry to burn Nicodemus and burn him hard.

With the help of his cop not-quite-lover Karrin Murphy, a retired Knight of the Cross and family man Michael Carpenter, his friend-coming-into-his-own-in-a-supernatural-world Waldo Butters, some unlikely allies from the past, and even some supernatural allies, Harry makes good on his promise and gives Nicodemus a burn that he will never forget. But Harry must also come to terms with not only becoming a part of his Maggie’s life, but actually give birth to another daughter that was the product of a fallen angel’s shadow inside his head. Even for Harry Dresden, this set of days is far from typical.

The Dresden Files has been my favorite series for a long time for its voice and witty dialogue, the world it builds, and the memorable characters, but even this blew my standards away. This is the first one in a while that has been pure unadulterated fun; the past few books have had rather bittersweet endings that felt rather soul-crushing, but not Skin Game. This one actually offers hope for the future of these characters and introduces some really fun ones as well. There’s plenty of action, no shortage of drama and intrigue, and plenty to make this a must-read for fans of the series. And if you haven’t started the series yet, well, what the hell are you doing with your life?

Ladies and gentlemen, as many of you know, I champion for equality and fair depiction of people other than straight white males in comics. Well, we’ve finally reached a jaw dropper. Lewis Lovhaug, also known as Linkara or that guy who reviews comic books, has reached his 300th episode and as such, did a review of Frank Miller’s Holy Terror. And boy, is it a doozy.

This comic… I almost don’t want to keep thinking about it. It’s bad. Just really bad. It is a racist diatribe against Arabs and Muslims, portraying most, if not all of them as savages and terrorists. Miller’s paranoid fantasies are also brought forth in all their ugly glory as it depicts Al Qaeda as a single group as part of a nebulous organization of terror that wormed its way into our government like S.P.E.C.T.E.R. of James Bond fame. The book promotes torture, glorifies the demonization of a culture of billions, and seems proud of itself for doing it. If I discover that Frank Miller has any legitimate fans after this garbage, I may drink so much that I actually go missing for a few days.

Please, watch this three-part episode. You owe it to yourselves as thinking people to know that this kind of sentiment is very real and worse, that it’s still getting published. Mr. Lovhaug needs an award for this episode. To be able to effectively rip apart this much printed bile and come out unscathed is truly a godly feat.

The full endeavor can be found here. Be warned, it’s over an hour and a half, but it is well worth it