The Superman Movies! (part two)

Posted by ErikSlader on October 23, 2015

We discussed the surprisingly solid “Superman: The Movie” and it’s inferior sequel, Richard Lester’s “Superman 2” (and it’s much, much better alternate Richard Donner cut) here in Part One. I suggest reading that before diving into hell here, if for no other reason than to remind yourself that Superman movies can be fun, if not outright good, because these two train wrecks will do everything they can to prove that statement wrong…

Superman III (1983)

Directed by: Richard Lester

Starring: Christopher Reeve (Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman / Evil Superman?), Richard Pryor?! (Gus Gorman / low-budget Brainiac?), Annette O’Toole (Lana Lang), Robert Vaughn (~~Lex Luthor~~ Ross Webster), Jackie Cooper (Perry White), Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen), and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane – cameo).

Plot: Webscoe (really?) CEO, Ross “I’m not Lex Luthor!” Webster, blackmails Gus “I’m Richard Pryor!” Gorman to help him use his computer to take over the world or some stupid shit that’s not worth mentioning, and to use a “weather satellite” to somehow (?) decimate the coffee crops in Colombia so he can monopolize the coffee market… (I promise, I’m not making this up.) Superman reunites with his ex-girlfriend Lana Lang while on a trip home to Smallville, and while there is exposed to a weird off-brand form of Kryptonite that makes him a huge asshole, going around straightening the leaning tower of Pisa and blowing out the Olympic flame (what a dick) before going on a drinking binge (what?). Superman splits into two personas: Dickhead Superman and Morally Righteous Clark Kent. Mr. Moral beats Mr. Dick. The regular Superman is back, and beats the bad guys. Audiences wiped away the blood coming from their noses.

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X-Men Crossovers Part 9

Posted by comiczombie on September 24, 2015

Messiah Complex

Took Place In: Messiah Complex 1, Uncanny X-Men 492-494, X-Factor 25-27, New X-Men 44-46, X-Men 205-207

Written By: Ed Brubaker (Messiah Complex, Uncanny X-Men), Mike Carey (X-Men), Peter David (X-Factor), Craig Kyle and Chris Yost (New X-Men)

Art By: Marc Silvestri (Messiah Complex), Billy Tan (Uncanny X-Men), Scott Eaton (X-Factor), Humberto Ramos (New X-Men), Chris Bachalo (X-Men)

Characters Involved: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Archangel, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Storm, Beast, Bishop, Caliban, Hepzibah, Rogue, Professor X, Warpath, Wolverine (X-Men), Multiple Man, Layla Miller, M, Rictor, Siryn, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane (X-Factor), Anole, Armor, Dust, Elixir, Gentle, Hellion, Indra, Mercury, Pixie, Prodigy, Rockslide, Stepford Cuckoos, Surge, Trance, Wolf Cub, X-23 (New X-Men), Arclight, Blockbuster, Gambit, Harpoon, Lady Mastermind, Mystique, Omega Sentinel, Prism, Riptide, Scalphunter, Sunfire, Scrambler, Vertigo (Marauders), Exodus, Frenzy, Gargouille, Neophyte, Projector, Random, Tempo, Unuscione, Vindaloo, Amelia Vought (Acolytes), Sinister, Predator X, Reverand Rissman, Purifiers, Lady Deathstrike, Reavers, Hope Summers, Cable, Forge

Story: This story, the first inter-title crossover from the X books in years, spins out of the events of the House of M storyline, in which the Scarlet Witch uses her reality warping abilities to de-power 98% of the mutant population.

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WTF Moments 43

Posted by comiczombie on September 21, 2015

“Please, Superman, we’re dying! Even a little bit of water in this dirty can of dog food!”

“Nope.”

“Superman, it’s me, Lois! I love you! You’re letting us die of thirst! There’s literally water right behind you!”

“Nope. Nobody gets a drop. I’m a hero.”

What the fuck, Superman?

The Superman Movies! (part one)

Posted by ErikSlader on September 21, 2015

Superman 1978

The first, and greatest, super hero, Superman has had a rather mixed bag when it comes to adaptations of his comic book adventures. There have been numerous television shows, radio serials, animated series, animated movies, video games, and live action movies, more of which were either just ok or straight up more bad than good.

Superman actors What is it about the big, blue boy scout that leads to so much crap?

You would think the elements that have been in place for 75 years now would be easy to adapt to the big screen, or the small screen. It’s not like there aren’t literally hundreds of pre-made stories in his publication history that are begging to be filmed and thrown on the screen, yet time and time again people think they can ‘improve’ upon the man of steel and his epically large library of awesomeness, and time and time again they fail miserably.

That’s not to say there haven’t been some success stories… “Superman: The Movie” was a high point, as were the Bruce Timm animated series and his representation in that same universe’s “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited”, as well as a handful of direct to DVD animated movies that did well. Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” may have divided some fans on its quality, but both Erik and I will go to our graves defending it.

Man of Steel

But for each of those, there are Superman 3, Superman Returns, Lois and Clark, most seasons of Smallville and the dreaded Superman 64! It’s curious. And as bad as those are, you wouldn’t believe some of the utter shit that almost got made. (6 Terrible Superman movies, you won’t believe almost happened!)

For now, just to keep things relatively simple Erik and I are skipping 1951’s “Superman vs the Mole Men” and are only going to discuss the live action feature films, starting with…

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WTF Moments 42

Posted by comiczombie on September 18, 2015

What the fuck is happening here?

It’s not that it’s just so crazy- I mean, look at all the crap in the background!- but it’s that I imagine he stopped being Superman all of five seconds ago and already there’s fires, a plane crash, murder, and a train derailment, all AT THE SAME TIME and all ON THE SAME STREET.

And then there’s Supes and Lois, strolling down the street without a care in the world.

I can’t help but have the song “Best Friend” in my head as I picture this happening.

What the fuck, Superman?

WTF Moments 41

Posted by comiczombie on August 25, 2015

Godzilla: King of Monsters, Punk on the Basketball Court

Apparently.

Who would have guessed that after triumphing over threats like Mothra, Gigan, and King Ghidorrah that all it took to defeat the terrible Godzilla was a super sized Charles Barkley?? Not even Michael Jordan, or Magic Johnson, but Charles Barkley.

I’m at a loss for words, other than “what the fuck?”

WTF Moments 40

Posted by ErikSlader on July 4, 2015

Everyone wants the hammer…

WTF Moments 39

Posted by comiczombie on July 1, 2015

Probably the biggest WTF?! moment of the last 15 years from the big 2:

So Spidey is frantically trying to save his Aunt May from a gunshot wound, and aaallll of the baddest badass scientists in the Marvel Universe, from guys like Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange, etc to maniacs like Dr. Doom and Dr. Octopus, are all like “she’s old, AND got shot? Wow, that’s beyond me, sorry, can’t help you. Now to invent some crazy shit that tears dimensional walls/travels through time/turns regular people into superhumans/steals memories/whatever”.

So then the ‘devil’, Mephisto, shows up and is like “I’ll help her, but in return I want your marriage, because….. well…. um… because the story demands that’s what I want so Spider-Man can be young and single again”.

What the fuck?

The story was so bad that the writer, J Michael Straczinski, dropped off of the book and asked that his name be removed from the story.

WTF Moments 38

Posted by comiczombie on June 16, 2015

‘The cat’s meow’? ‘Kryptonite catnip’???

‘Wow-wow-wowwww’?!?!?!

What in the actual fuck is happening??

And to the limey going “Ow’d ‘e shake off the effect of the gas? It’s supposed to work for hours! Pip pip cheerio!” , I’d say whatever the hell kind of gas you gave ol’ Supes is working pretty damn well. Maybe not he way you intended, but it has him wearing a shitty cat outfit, somehow ‘Spider-Man’ing a pole, and playing what looks like the ukulele for a live audience while making (and I’m putting this kindly) a humungous asshole out of himself. Lex Luthor would be proud, but he topped you by stealing 40 cakes.

Super Hero Beach: Tales from the Spider-verse!

Posted by ErikSlader on June 7, 2015

Erik: Over the past year, I’ve been putting together articles for SuperHeroBeach.com. A few months back, I invited Comic Zombie and several others to share their favorite Spider-man comics to promote the Spider-verse comics event. This was the result…

Ever since his debut in Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-man has had some of the most iconic story arcs in comics history. Since 1962, Spidey has been swinging across the New York skyline from page to screen in numerous incarnations, from web headed teenager to star crossed lover to fighting alongside the Avengers.

Now that Marvel’s “Spider-verse” event is upon us, I thought I’d ask a few people around town to share some of their favorite Web-slinging adventures from our favorite wall-crawler: Jonathan Sanders (manager of Super Hero Hive), Badr Milligan (of The Short Box Pod Cast), Adam Wollet (local comic creator), Brett Ricketts (creator ofTheDirectEdition.com), Comic Zombie(blogger @ comiczombie.wordpress.com), and of course myself, Erik Slader (writer of the blog Epik Fails of History and content creator for this here site).

For those of you living in the Negative Zone these past few months, Spider-verse is a current story line where every single Spider-man ever from all corners of the multi-verse must unite against a common threat.

Click here for the rest!