For Punisher fans, we are by and large still lamenting the loss of the last unlimited series, written by the talented Greg Rucka. Marvel decided to pull the plug on that wonderful series in favor of putting Frank Castle into the Thunderbolts team book. And with it came an update to the characters physical appearance as well as the introduction of a red skull to blend with the team composition. Fashion faux pas aside, the character just does not belong in a team book. Castle has always been a more solitary figure. He is a lone wolf that has never played nice with others. So, fans such as me, continue to buy Thunderbolts to support the marketability of our beloved anti-hero without actually enjoying the journey of the story as we should. Enter the 2-issue Trial of the Punisher.
Debuting today, this particularly satisfying Punisher yarn was actually written more than two years ago by Marc Guggenheim (Arrow). Finally, after visits to various editors over time, Marc's story was finally given the green light. The art is being handled by Leinil Yu in the first issue with a seamless transition to Mico Sauyan for issue two. And the story, in true Punisher style, will hit you pretty hard right off the bat with a very cool opening confession by Frank Castle himself in a local NYC precinct. This story is a court-room driven tale, but that does not mean it is without its visual and contextual excitement. In fact, the first issue is ripe with fantastic sequences and plot development. And the last panel is really going to have you guessing what Frank is scheming in a situation that voluntary places him in the cross-hairs of an execution for a capital crime.
So, while Marvel fumbles around with their long-range Punisher plans, sink your teeth into this mini for some awesome traditional Punisher action with a twist. Trial of the Punisher #1 is on sale today at your local comic shops!
In a week featuring lots of continuing stories from long-running series, and not much new stuff to peak the interest of yours truly, I happened upon the trade paperback new release of Century West, a story of the American West in a transitioning world of technological breakthroughs that ushered us into the 20th century. Eagle Award winner Howard Chaykin provides the story and art for the book, indicating that this should be viewed as a true labor of love-type project from the man responsible for the art in the first ten issues of the original Star Wars film adaptation series, as well as the cutting edge movie Heavy Metal.
Century West is a story of cowboys, outlaws, and a law man's struggle between a world being left behind and the brave new world ahead of him. Century, Texas used to be the quintessential frontier town, but it is transforming before Robert Ford's eyes and things will never be the same again.
So, listen to the sounds of a boot-born spur, the roll of the tumbleweed, and the brazen call of an outlaw challenging the authority of a badge once more. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Eastwood would be proud of you.
You can find Century West in a comic shop or book store for a fair bargain of $7.99. Shoot, if that ain't a deal.
The Front Row View is a regular column by Great Stories contributor Jim Cannizzaro. He is a veteran community theater leading man, seasoned blogger, movie enthusiast, and family man.
It's always perplexed me how many good movies have bombed at the box office. Case in point, Bryan Singer's recent release Jack the Giant Slayer. This hybrid of the fairy tales "Jack the Giant Killer" and "Jack and the Beanstalk" was one of the most entertaining big-budget fantasies to be released within the past few years. In the wake of the success of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Hollywood has sought out just about any Children's /Young Adult's property with elements of fantasy that it can get it's hands on. Many of them have been bloated with special effects and devoid of anything approaching decent story construction or character development ('member those?). With some of them, it felt as if I'd had my head inside a video game for 2 hours.
Not so with Jack the Giant Slayer. This was a beautiful and fluid fantasy from one of our most talented filmmakers. Some of the action sequences both rival and surpass those in the recent The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The first full view of the giants, with one of them standing in the background and then rushing up to snatch up one of the characters, is an amazing use of the space afforded by the wide screen (and yes, the use of space is something else that's in danger of extinction on today's movie screens---witness all of the recent action thrillers with action sequences that are so crowded, smashed together and over-edited that it's difficult to see what, if anything, is going on). Amazing too is the actual climb up the beanstalk, a long and tense sequence that calls to mind the illustrations of great storybooks of the past.
The cast was also well-chosen, with Nicholas Hoult doing a solid job as the hero and the ever-busy Stanley Tucci acting out a memorable villain without hamming it up too much.
Why then, did this fail? Are people getting tired of effects-laden fantasies? Or was everyone going to see the heavily hyped and mediocre Oz the Great and Powerful instead?
Unfortunately, gone are the days when most movies were in theatres long enough for word of mouth to build. If a movie doesn't do blockbuster business it's first weekend, it's as dead as someone falling from the top of a giant beanstalk.
Can anyone else think of any neglected movies that they've admired over the years?
Jimbo
Great Stories would like to first observe the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. The victims, families, and all people both in America and around the world who felt the effect of that chilling day are close to our hearts this and every day. God Bless You All!
And now......
Great Stories Selects......
Mighty Avengers #1 (Marvel)
Spinning off of the current major storyline in the Marvel Universe (Infinity), the new Mighty Avengers assemble and it is quite an interesting team with not the most usual suspects that the average comic reader might guess. Leading the team is Luke Cage, who recently gave up his gig leading the Thunderbolts in his last team book. The Superior Spider-Man adds some gravitas, but after that you have White Tiger, Spectrum, and Power Man (as well as some mysterious figure not identified). Not the biggest names in the annals of Marvel history, but ones that could very well make for a very interesting book and infinite (pun intended) storyline possibilities. For now, however, Infinity rages on and this team is contending with Thanos' henchmen, The Marauders somewhere in deep space and far away from the rest of us human-types.
So, hop on board with writer Al Ewing and artists Greg Land and Jay Leisten for the newest Avengers venture and what could prove to be one of the most intriguing teams assembled in some time.
Mighty Avengers #1 is on sale everywhere with multiple covers for you collectors! Great Stories are everywhere!
Great Stories' new column for our movie trailer preview series is here. Once
per month, we will be taking a look at movies released for the upcoming month,
and telling our readers where we would be spending our movie dollars each week,
based on the look of the trailers. Links to the chosen trailers will be
provided so you can see just what we are so excited about. Movie release dates are subject to change. September 6th The first week of the month boasts only one big release along with a bunch of moves in more limited release. Riddick is the third installment of the Vin Diesel series that started with Pitch Black so many years ago. The trailer looks to be a cross between the first two pictures in the series (with a focus on both the action and horror genres). Touchy Feely is an independent starring Ellen Page about a masseuse who is suddenly averted to human touch causing havoc in her marriage and career. Adore stars Naomi Watts and Robin Wright as two moms who tread down a dangerous path through growing love affairs with each other's sons. Hell Baby is an off-beat comedy/horror flick about an expecting couple who move into a cursed home, starring Rob Curddry and Leslie Bibb. Il Futuro is a foreign film starring Rutger Hauer as a fading film star who is romanced by a young woman who may have more then good intents. Bounty Killer is a mindless actioner that takes place in a world whose governments have all been replaced by corporations who wage wars of profit. Kristanna Loken and Matthew Marsden star. Its a fairly bleak week at the box office as the summer movie season goes through its death throes. In spite of not enjoying the Chronicles of Riddick, we are hoping that with the help of Diesel's co-star Karl Urban (Judge Dredd), this franchise can get back on track. Check out the trailer below.
September 13th
After a week of over the top gory sci fi action, what do we have to look forward to? A slew of films are on the docket. The Family stars Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer as recently witness protected heads of a crime family who find that while their identities have changed, the lifestyle is not so far behind them...a dark comedy for sure with some good star power. Insidious 2 continues the march towards the Halloween horror season. Informant is a documentary look at a man whose radical leanings find him in lockstep with a group of domestic terrorists but working with the FBI after a seeming crisis of conscience. Jayne Mansfield's Car stars Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, and Billy Bob Thornton star in a movie about two very different families whose union is fraught with struggle following the death of one familiy's matriarch. And While We Were There stars Kate Bosworth as a woman in an unhappy marriage who begins to fall for the advances of a younger man. We are hoping The Informant is playing somewhere close by because the documentary looks absolutely compelling. Failing that, Jayne Mansfield's Car has an outstanding cast and looks like a very entertaining night out at the theaters. Check out both trailers below!
September 20th
The official end of summer only two days away, the kids are back at school, and James Gandolfini returns before our eyes larger than life on the big screen as the object of affection for one woman (Julianne Dreyfuss) and the object of disdain for another (Catherine Keener). Will the women's shared friendship allow for the success of romance in Enough Said? Thanks for Sharing is a Mark Ruffalo/Gwyneth Paltrow drama comedy about recovering sex addicts, Battle of the Year will attempt to dance its way to the top of the box office as a team dance competition draws competition from all over the world. The Colony sees Lawrence Fishburne and Bill Paxton lead a group of post-global warming apocalypse survivors against the threat of starving cannibals. Haute Cuisine portrays the life of the woman who became chef for French President Francois Mitterand. A Single Shot with William H Macy and Sam Rockwell relive events that look strangely familiar to the great movie A Simple Plan. COG sees a young intellectual integrate into what he views as a lowest common denominator culture but begins to find respect for those around him and their values. Prisoners looks like a grab you by the throat kidnap thriller starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhall, and Terrence Howard. Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth puts down a different type of hammer (sorry for my obligatory Thor joke) to lock horns on the race track against his arch-nemsis (Daniel Bruhl) in Rush. Lastly, Stephen Dorff plays an Israeli fighter pilot who is shot down over Beirut and strikes an unlikely alliance with a Lebanese youth to escape his captors and return home safely in Zaytoun. It is the last entry for this week that has our attention. Zaytoun looks like a winner.
September 27th
As we inch our way to October and the beautiful fall foliage (for those of you lucky enough to live in a similar climate!), kids all around the world will be looking for Italian food to fall from the sky with the release of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Inequality for All is a documentary that follows Carter and Clinton Administration official Robert Reich as he advocates his brand of economics for America. The relationship of real life pen pals Johnny Dark and actor/playwrite Sam Shepard is explored in the documentary Shepard & Dark. As I Lay Dying has James Franco take on William Faulkner's classic novel of a family that is seeking to honor the wishes of their dying mother. Secret Lives of Dorks features cameos by Jennifer Tilly and Jim Belushi as a high school geek seeks his dream girl. Through the Never features a Metallica roadie running a simple errand that takes him on a very unexpected and dangerous journey. We Are What We Are looks to be a frightening movie-going experience as two young girls are brought into some very unorthodox family traditions after the death of their mother. Baggage Claim features Paula Patton in a mad rush to find romance when her one remaining sibling is engaged to be married and she determines to not be the only sibling without. And finally, Don Jon has Joseph Gordon Levitt discover the meaning of a real relationship and love in spite of his more shallow pursuits and hobbies. It's a huge lineup of films, but we are going the classic literature route with the theatrical presentation of As I Lay Dying. Don Jon, We Are What We Are, and Prisoners al looks like solid entries as well. But check out the trailer that rose above this good list for us.
What are you most looking forward to seeing this month at the movies? Great Stories would like to know!
Kneel before-----------you must know this guy, right?
Zod takes over the pages of Action Comics
Every title in the DC Universe gets a major shakeup as the villains become the stars and their own covers. The New 52, DC's most recent re-launch, throws us this latest twist in a nice neat package of standard and alternative covers that are sure to tempt the collector in you. Some books are harder to find than others, but we will let you feast your eyes on just a handful of the titles that were released this week for your enjoyment. Now, don't waste any more time and rush out to find out just how out their minds DC's creative teams really are these days.
Black Mantra makes Aquaman finally cool?
Solomon Grundy is a scary dude in Earth 2
Harley Quinn is not Batman's ideal date in Detective Comics
All of these title and more rogue gallery mayhem are out in stores now from DC! Great Stories are everywhere!!!
