Movies: Doctor Strange

Marvel continues its string of hits with the Master of the Mystic Arts, Dr Strange. Cummerbund Bandersnatch (kidding! You know it’s Benedict Cumberbatch) plays Dr. Stephen Strange, a rich, arrogant snob of a neurological surgeon. Cold to his patients, condescending to his peers and addicted to wealth and power, Strange loses it all after an explosive auto accident. When Western medicine fails to restore his health, he looks to the East for a more mystical solution. There he finds the Ancient One, a mystical teacher who accepts him as a student and helps him heal his body and open his mind.

While training with other students, including the enigmatic Baron Mordo, Strange shows some aptitude for magic and spells, kicking and dragging his logical medical mind into the process. He learns of a major magical threat to the world and teams with his new peers to battle it, despite his neophyte status. 

Mr. Bandersnatch as Dr. Strange

Doctor Strange hits all the right buttons; growing and changing Strange into a bearable, caring human being, providing several intimidating protagonists and blowing viewers’ minds with special effects. Doctor Strange has the most trippy, complex and awe-inspiring visuals of any Marvel movie so far. The effects not only evoke otherworldly magic, but also the art of Steve Ditko, Dr. Strange co-creator (along with Stan Lee, who has a rather bland cameo in the film) and designer of some extremely wild alt-dimensional worlds in the original comic. This movie displays a unique and electrifying visual design sense. 

Doctor Strange does follow the normal Marvel movie formula, which is a strength here. There is an origin, dangerous protagonists who threaten to end the world and a slam-bang resolution. Along the way the acting, magic battles and art direction are absolutely stunning. 

The only negative in the movie is Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One. As portrayed in the comic, the Ancient One is an Asian man from Tibet. I’m not sure if they changed the character from an Asian man to a bald English woman for political reasons (China is a huge movie market, and the Chinese government doesn’t want to see a heroic character from disputed client nation Tibet), politically correct reasons (I thought race trumped sex in PC culture. Liberals, please educate me), or just because the director wanted to change something to put his stamp on the story. Regardless, the story follows the original Lee/Ditko comics closely except for this important detail.

The Ancient One

 

Not the Ancient One

Overall, Doctor Strange adds magic to the Marvel brand, and I look forward to his sequels and appearances in other Marvel films, as hinted in the post-credits scene. Doctor Strange is a fun romp well deserving of your time.

Rating: **** out of 5 stars

Comics – The Master of Kung Fu Omnibus, Vol. I

This first volume reprints one of the most beloved properties of the ‘70s and ‘80s, stories of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin, Shang-Chi was the son of Chinese supervillain Fu Manchu and an unnamed American mother. With a publishing history stemming from the early 1900s, Fu Manchu was a well-known literary character licensed from the estate of author Sax Romer. A character original to Marvel, Shang-Chi (whose name means “rising and advancing of a spirit”) is trained from birth to be a human weapon and assassin for his father. Dispatched for his first kill, he is told his target is an evil operative who is a danger to the world. After killing the man, Shang-Chi is assaulted by doubt and eventually learns the truth about his father. Desperate to assuage his guilt for the murder, Shang-Chi joins British spymaster Sir Dennis Nayland Smith and his group of operatives to fight Fu Manchu and regularly save the world. Rounding out the cast is man-mountain Black Jack Tarr, man of style and action Clive Reston (son of James Bond and great-nephew of Sherlock Holmes), and Shang’s lover Leiko Wu.

These reprints start with Special Marvel Edition #15, then the title changes to Master of Kung Fu in issue #17, which keeps the Special Marvel Edition numbering. By issue #21, Englehart is off the book and writer Doug Moench takes over and becomes the creative force most closely identified with Shang-Chi and his adventures.

Moench takes Shang through some very James Bond-inspired adventures, and the group regularly battles Fu Manchu, usually resulting in a draw. Fu sends assassins like clockwork to kill Shang—they come in the form of waiters, lovers, spies and people on the street. Everyone knows kung fu and everyone is out to kill Shang-Chi for the price on his head placed there by his father. It is clear these tales were never meant to be read all at once, put together they can be somewhat repetitive. Even some of the included letters pages bear this out. But the characters and characterization are top-notch. Shang-Chi makes a conscious decision at one point that, while he abhors violence, he must work with Smith to fight villains and evildoers who mean humanity harm. It’s a tough decision for Shang, at heart a pacifist who just wants to be left alone to find himself.

The largest criticism of Master of Kung Fu is the kung fu itself. I’m not sure anyone on the creative team had ever cracked a magazine or saw a movie about martial arts. Forms are wrong, stances non-existent, punches, kicks and strikes are not related in any way to actual kung fu. Some artists are better than others (Paul Gulacy definitely improved as he went along), but this is a massive missed opportunity for the book. Shang-Chi could have brought real kung fu to the masses. Instead, the book turns out to be another superhero punch-fest with little or no authentic martial arts. But this criticism pales in comparison to the general quality of the stories and the characterization of Shang-Chi as constantly divided, always wanting to retire from his “games of death and deceit.” That conflict drives the series and Moench plays it perfectly.

Obviously inspired by the contemporary television show Kung Fu, starring David Carridine, Master of Kung Fu does manage to be its own separate entity. Shang-Chi is not Kwai Chang Caine, he has his own hang-ups and goals. The stories are fun and action packed, and do contain quite a bit of Eastern philosophy and aesthetic. Moench is a thoughtful writer who can write big concepts, meditation scenes and globetrotting exploits. Overall, MOKF gives readers killer plots, explosive action and a lot of bang for their buck. I very much look forward to the next volume in the series.  

The Master of Kung Fu Omnibus collects Special Marvel Edition 15-16, Master of Kung Fu 17-37 & Giant-Size 1-4, Giant-Size Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man Annual 4.  

Rating: ****½ stars out of 5

Books: Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge and Ready Player One

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge by Larry Correia and John Ringo

A fresh new voice enters the MHI Universe with Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge. The book’s introduction discusses how veteran author John Ringo read and loved Correia’s Monster Hunter International novels, as should everyone with discerning taste in monster hunting novels. He was inspired by those books to create stories of his own set in the MHI universe. Correia, already a Ringo fan, wasn’t about to turn away a writer of that stature playing in his sandbox, especially since the ideas were so good. Correia spent some time helping shape the ideas to fit his universe’s history and aesthetic. The resulting book is smooth as silk between the two writer’s styles.

The first story in the planned series is Grunge. And it is spectacular. I’d never read Ringo’s work, but count me in as a major fan now. Ringo’s hero protagonist is Oliver Chadwick Gardenier, a unique and dangerous man. The book takes place in the 1980s, as Gardenier’s memoir is found behind a filing cabinet in the present day and is exposed to the world for the first time. As the story and Chad’s background slowly but deliciously unfolds, we meet his hippie/activist mother and his playboy father, and come to realize Chad’s future will go in a slightly different direction. After being mortally wounded during his Marine Corps service, Chad is given another chance by heaven (the circumstances of his heavenly meeting are a hoot) to come back and make a difference on Earth. This quickly translates to kicking some major monster ass.

Chad is a different sort of hero. He is what some Asian cultures would term the warrior poet. He is extremely well educated, has a talent with languages and his IQ is off the charts. He is a violin virtuoso and writes music when it pleases him. But he is also a gun, combat and weapon expert/enthusiast who doesn’t hesitate to kill evil monsters of all categories.

Grunge is the story of Chad’s life, his “resurrection” and his time fighting monsters as part of Monster Hunter International. No one is more dedicated to getting the job done despite any and all obstacles put in his way. Chad faces off against zombies, a werewolf, giant spiders, trailer elves and even challenges a fairie queen to a duel of sorts (my favorite part of the book and not for the faint of heart). Along the way he indulges his giant libido, makes contact with many new monster cultures (mostly to crush them like radioactive bugs), and becomes a born-again Christian. True, he practices his own personal brand of Christianity, but it’s a safe bet he’s going to heaven when he dies. And I hope that is not for a long, long time. Chad’s story is funny, irreverent and a mountain of fun. This book is sure to bring many new readers into the MHI fold.

The ending of Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge makes me glad there are more books planned in the series. I could read about Chad Gardenier’s exploits for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy. A joyous read.

Rating: ***** out of 5 stars

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Taking place in the near future, Ready Player One is a true ode to 1980s video games, music, TV and general pop culture. Being a teenager for the first part of the ‘80s, I can definitely relate. But the book goes much deeper into the future of gaming and how it might affect society. Speculation on what our entertainment choices may evolve into is wrapped around the tightly plotted story of a fantastic and magical online quest.

When eccentric billionaire and game developer James Halliday dies from cancer in the 2040s, he leaves behind a video that will change the world. He reveals in the video that he has left clues in his immersive 3D online world, known as the OASIS, to a contest that will award the winner his $340 billion fortune. Not to mention control of his online gaming empire, including the OASIS. Immediately billions of online users of the OASIS scramble to find any evidence of the clues. One of those users is Wade Watts, a brilliant but poor teenage hacker/programmer. Wade uses his online avatar, Parzival, to aggressively go on the hunt for the first clue. The goal is to find “the Egg,” the final prize that will lead to Halliday’s billions.

Other top scorers, whom Wade ends up knowing well, are avatars Art3mis (Artemis), Aech (pronounced like the letter “H”), and Japanese brothers Diato and Shoto. Standing directly in their way, and in the way of the entire world, is the company IOI. IOI  management and employees, collectively known as “the sixers” (for reasons explained in the novel) are not only after the money, but also control of the OASIS, which has become the way most of the world learns, lives and is entertained. They want to monetize the program and make it much more exclusive, an anathema to Wade and the other players. IOI has the money and resources to control a lot of the quest and game play online, but they are not all powerful.

Wade has to compete against IOI as well as other very smart people in his quest for the Egg. Halliday has based many of the clues on the pop culture he consumed growing up in the 1980s. Wade and the others immerse themselves in 80s culture, memorizing Halliday’s every favorite movie, video game, cartoon, song and book, most of which are mentioned in his public diaries. This information comes in handy when Wade has to take Matthew Broderick’s part in an online recreation of the movie War Games, or know the lyrics to a particular Rush song from the album 2112. The length and breadth of iconic 80s pop culture items mentioned in this book boggle the mind, and definitely took me on a nostalgic trip to my teenage years.

The plot takes some fun twists, especially dealing with the lengths IOI will go to possess the OASIS, and also with the reveal of the characters behind all the major avatars. Getting through each challenge—there are three virtual keys to find and three gates players must navigate to find the Egg—is progressively harder but endless fun to read. The explosive battle for the final gate includes every spaceship, giant robot, fantasy and sci-fi weapon and video game icon created in the 1980s. I’ve read that Steven Spielberg is adapting Ready Player One into a movie. This is an inspired idea, as it is one of the most visual books I’ve ever read. However, I’m not sure it will be possible to bring the epic nature of the story to the screen. Will the filmmakers be able to license media from all the different genres and cultures mentioned to recreate the book? There are hundreds of different rock bands, video games, books, anime, TV shows and games featured, from Dungeons and Dragons to Family Matters to Joust. I would think it would be prohibitively expensive to have them all sharing space in one movie. Perhaps they will pull a Roger Rabbit and make it all work.

Ready Player One is a prose visual tour de force and a feast for all senses. It also takes a serious look at the shut-in phenomenon and what might happen when people have the chance to immerse themselves 24 hours a day in a 3D environment much more exciting and rewarding than real life. Thought-provoking, action packed and full of surprises with an inspired ending, Ready Player One delivers the full gaming experience.

Rating: ****½ out of 5 stars

An Actual Great Political Ad

From Texas, my favorite political ad of the season. 

Movies: An Honest Liar

James Randi (magician “The Amazing Randi”) has long been one of my biggest heroes. A magician and escape artist, Randi made a name for himself in the 1950s as one of Houdini’s heirs, and broke many of the great man’s records along the way. I became aware of Randi while following his debunking of so-called psychics and his quest to find someone who could prove they possess authentic psychic powers. This documentary follows Randi’s life and career, his battle against endless fake supernaturalists and reveals many surprising secrets about Randi and those around him.

Randi was born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge in August of 1928. He saw a magician as a child and decided that was what he wanted to do with his life. At sixteen he ran away, joined the carnival, and never looked back. This is also the beginning of his first secret. From a boy, James Randi knew he was gay. He kept it a secret from the world until he came out in 2010.

The film takes viewers through Randi’s performing career, on the stage, on television and in the movies. He was a favorite on Johnny Carson and appeared in many other television shows. It also covers his battles with not only false psychics (are there any other kind?) such as Israel’s Uri Geller, but also occasionally with scientists who wanted so badly to believe they had found proof of honest-to-God psychic powers. The film includes the famous clip where Randi informed the Tonight Show prop people how to easily thwart Geller’s “powers” and show him as a fraud. It worked perfectly. Unfortunately, Geller went on to a fruitful career with his tricks, although he no longer claims to be psychic.

Randi’s other secret is a shock and comes out here for the first time. Over 25 years ago, Randi met a young man named José Alvarez, and they became romantic partners, which they are to this day. What no one knew was that Jose had a devastating secret of his own. During filming for this documentary, the government raided Randi and Jose’s house and arrested Jose. Randi admitted to knowing Jose’s secret. The filmmakers reveal what that secret is and why Randi went along with the deception. Never trust a magician.

The documentary does tell the tale of Jose’s arrest, consequences and how it affected his and Randi’s lives together. Overall it depicts a fascinating man and his life, warts and all. A man who has done so much good for the world and the truth. An exceptional film about a captivating man who veered off quite far onto the road not taken.

Rating: **** out of 5 stars

Con Report - Cincinnati Comic Expo 2016

Alas, the 2016 Cincinnati Comic Expo has come and gone. But what a show!

Thanks to some fortunate circumstances, my friend Steve was able to get us 3-day passes to the con, in return for some video work done for the fine folks at HLM Productions. We helped videotape the celebrity panels at the con. I’ve never been to a con for three days in a row, I wondered if I would find enough stuff to do. The answer was a resounding yes.

Friday

On Friday I walked the con floor and made notes about the folks I wanted to meet and vendors I wanted to visit. The bulk of the evening was spent at the Stan Lee presentation.

Stan the Man

At 93, Stan Lee is still a phenomenon to be reckoned with. Stan came into the exhibit hall greeted by thousands of adoring fans. He was accompanied by his assistant Max, who sat down with him at the display table. They opened up the floor for questions, and the line was immediately filled with eager fans. Stan is a bit hard of hearing, so Max had to repeat most of the questions loudly in Stan’s ear. Stan answered the same questions he has heard for years, but managed to be gracious and engaging with each answer. He told the crowd how he created Spider-Man (he put the hero in the last issue of a cancelled book, Amazing Adult Fantasy, and the character just took off). Editor Martin Goodman hated the name, insisting no one liked spiders. On The X-Men, the book was supposed to be called The Mutants, but Goodman insisted no one knew what a mutant was. He was right, Stan mused, but Goodman liked X-Men, and who knew what an “X-Man” was?

Stan and his assistant, Max

Stan is extremely careful never to criticize Marvel, its comics or its movies. So I was surprised to hear he didn’t care for Dr. Doom in the 90s Fantastic Four films. “He didn’t have the body armor or the backstory of the original Doom,” Stan pointed out. I like those films, but I do agree with Stan’s criticisms. The perfect Fantastic Four movie has yet to be made. Speaking of films, Stan has already shot cameos for four upcoming, unreleased Marvel films. Not to be morbid, but I’m sure Marvel is using him as much as possible while he is still around.

Stan's Question Line

My friend Matt Tauber chats with Stan

Couple Married by Stan

Near the end of the presentation, a young black man stepped up to the mic to engage Stan. He said he had heard Stan had the credentials to marry couples and asked if he would marry him and his fiancée, who was in the audience. Amused, Stan said “Sure!” and advised the young man he should see a “real” official after the wedding to be sure everything was legal. The couple stepped up, Stan said the usual stuff and the young man kissed his bride. That got a thunderous standing ovation.

It's Stan Lee Day in Cincinnati!

When Stan’s time was up, the convention organizers presented him with a certificate from Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley marking September 23^rd, 2016 as “Stan Lee Day.” Stan seemed touched and many photos were taken.

Stan having a blast!

Stan had the entire crowd eating out of the palm of his hand for the entire presentation. Can you imagine, everywhere you go every day of your life, people do nothing but ask for your autograph, tell you that you made their childhood and list the reasons they revere you? It must be wicked amazing to be Stan Lee.

Saturday

As part of the convention pass provided by my friend Steve, a photo op with Stan Lee was provided. I was incredibly excited about that. I’ve met Stan a few times before, but have never gotten a photo with him. I got the appointed time from Steve and made sure to be prompt. Four people were allowed in each photo with Stan. I was supposed to meet Steve, his son Daniel and Daniel’s friend Matthew for the shot. My girlfriend Terry was with me to see Stan. Steve was filming some of the panels and the costume contest for the con. It turned out he was not able to attend the photo session—very disappointing since his video work made everything possible. Instead, Terry was able to jump in and we got the following shot:

A motley crew

Why didn’t anyone tell me I was fat? That is embarrassing ... Unfortunately, we were not able to engage Stan or spend any time with him. It was form the group, snap the photo, move on, repeat. Although we didn’t have to pay due to our passes, the VIP/photo package was around $350, and a LOT of people were in line. Stan had a good financial weekend, as he always does at cons. “Idol o’ millions,” as Ben Grimm used to say.

David Mazouz from Gotham

There were many other celebrities there selling photos and autographs. The only one I wanted to meet was Teddy Sears from The Flash. Teddy played Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick on Flash Season 2 last year (among other parts), and I’ve always loved that character. Sears’ autograph was affordable so we got in his line. He had a unique system—whether fans bought anything or not, he spent five minutes or so with each person or group who approached, just chatting. I chose a nice color Jay Garrick photo to have signed:

Teddy Sears as Jay Garrick

Terry and I engaged Teddy. As he signed my photo, we discussed the con, meeting Stan (he was extremely respectful of Mr. Lee) and his role on The Flash. He recognized how venerated his character was, and how some of the show’s imagery captured the comic’s iconic moments. He wished us well and was on to the next group. An affable fellow.

Terry and I spent the rest of the evening in the convention hall, seeing exhibits and looking at art, props and clothing for sale, and admiring the cosplay. It was her first comic con and she didn’t run screaming. I appreciate that.

Sunday

The missing link, MTU #4

Sunday was the original day I was going to attend the con. My friends Eric, Tyler and I met early and Eric and I got down to some serious comic book shopping. The first booth we ran into was full of dollar boxes. I filled some holes in my Avengers and Fantastic Four collection, he pulled out enough books to start his own comic shop. We love bargains! We then checked out a few booths with cheap graphic novels, but their selections were a bit sparse. I think the dealers were low on stock for the year and had not replenished lately.

I found a dealer with a great Silver Age comic collection he just bought. I looked through a lot of it and found way too many books I liked. I needed only one book to totally finish the series Marvel Team-Up from the ‘70s, MTU #4. He had one in great shape for an excellent price, so I picked it up. Another series complete! Other huge finds were Avengers #6, #20 and #28, all in great shape. This dealer wanted to take home as few books as possible, so I was more than eager to help him!

Avengers #6

A bought a few other small things, and a print from artist Nen Chang. Her booth was stuffed with absolutely beautiful artwork, prints and sketches. I chose a print of a stunning woman with cascading red hair. While wrapping it up, she told me it was the Red Witch from Game of Thrones. I love the connection, since I’m a huge GOT fan. Here’s the print:

For the Night is Dark ...  

The one and only Neal Adams

My last bit of business before I left was to drop by and see my favorite comic book artist, Neal Adams. Neal is the Grand Old Man of comics and has been drawing since the mid-‘60s. The man doesn’t lack talent, energy or strong opinions. And he is the greatest comic book artist of all time, just ask him (and I heartily agree). I wanted to get a photo of Neal for the blog. When I got there, he was in the middle of a cosmic-level rant about art and young artists to an attractive young woman. I stood there politely for around 10 minutes; Neal didn’t even slow down. I had to pee, so when he stopped for a breath I asked politely if I could snap a photo.

“You can,” Neal said, irritated, “But you shouldn’t interrupt the conversation.” He was right, and graciously accepted my apology. He struck a pose, I snapped a photo, then headed for the men’s room. Hey, when you have to go you have to go! I’m sure Neal would understand.

Being at the con three days allowed me to take a lot of fun photos. Here they are:

Terry with the Darth Vader Patrol

A very nice Harley Quinn

Some Disney Fairies

Ye Author confronting a dangerous Predator

Spider-Man villain Mysterio

Love this animated Supergirl

Jay Garrick from The Flash TV Show

Black Canary

More Disney characters

Rogue/Leia and Gambit/Han Solo. Really. 

Very young Huntress and Black Canary

This remote control R2-D2 actually worked

Dr. Fate and a cross-dressing Green Arrow

A ... hot chick and ... the Toxic Avenger?

Playing hooky from Hogwart's

All in all, one of the best cons I’ve ever been to. I got to camp out at the con three days in a row, met and got a photo with Stan Lee, found some fantastic deals and introduced Terry to the world of comic book nerds. This is really one for the history books—how am I going to top this? It will surely be fun trying. And a very special thank you to my friend Steve for getting me in and making the Stan photo happen. I owe you one, pal!

CHUCK'S COMIC OF THE DAY

A REVIEW A DAY. HOPEFULLY.

Chuck

Chuck’s Comic of the Day features, as promised, reviews of one comic every day. Chuck covers superheroes, sci-fi, crime and other comics. Sometimes he features guest reviewers—today it’s me! I cover Birthright #19, a fantasy comic from Image. Check it out below, and be sure to check Chuck’s site every day for a new review!

Chuck’s Comic of the Day