Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by KarsonApril 6, 2016

Welcome to Weekly Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my comic book reading!

We have a whole lot of X-Men this week, let’s get into it!

X-Men ’92 #1!

Don’t judge a book by its cover…

First, let me describe how I was positioned going into this read; I loved the X-Men Animated Series, and I hadn’t read the X-Men ’92 Secret Wars series. I had heard about it but didn’t think too much of it, but when I saw the cover of this book, I had to give it a read!

So far, I’m a little letdown. I was hoping for more nostalgia. There are some nods to the nineties throughout, and it was nice to see Omega Red, but the problem was the art doesn’t do anything to make me think 90’s. The thing that upset me the most was the introduction of (as far as I know) a new villain! How can a nostalgia book introduce a new character!? Maybe this book was just intended to be a new story set in a 90’s-esque universe? Will I stick with the series? Probably not. I hope it’s great, and I hope someone who reads it and loves it, that person just probably won’t be me.

Uncanny X-Men #5!

Don’t mess with the Uncanny X-Men!

This series is starting to pick-up steam. There is a stark contrast developing between the Uncanny X-Men and the other versions of the team and this issue shows off just how savage the Magneto lead team can be. If you’re a fan of Magneto, this book is for you, as we are starting to see how much of a strategic mastermind he is. However, there is a distrust growing between Magneto and his team; it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Mystique and Fantomex are off doing their secret mission which is backed by the Hellfire Club. We don’t know much about it now, but I have a feeling we’re going to find out more about that next issue!

All-New X-Men #7!

I never knew a story centered around Toad could be so good!

Hopeless is doing such an awesome job of developing these characters! Wow. I am wrapped up in them all. Beast and his insecurities surrounding whether his intelligence has any value, Cyclops struggling to free himself from the clothes of Toad (man, oh man is that intense!). The way Toad’s story unfolds in this issue is heart wrenching. Hopeless’ words and Bagley’s art are so powerful in portraying Toad’s complete and utter hopelessness and loneliness. I can’t believe they made a story with Toad some damn emotionally impactful! This issue just keeps getting better and better the more I think about it. This issue stands on its own, check it out now!

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads!

by KarsonFebruary 16, 2016

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

This weekend the X-Men let me down.

The reads:

PaperGirls_01-1 — Paper Girls no. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson

Captain_Marvel_Vol_9_2 — Captain Marvel no. 2 by Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters and Kris Anka

Uncanny_X-Men_Vol_4_3 — Uncanny X-Men no. 1-3

All-New_X-Men_Vol_2_3 — All New X-Men no. 1-3

Extraordinary_X-Men_Vol_1_6 — Extraordinary X-Men no. 1-6

29648 — Harrow County no. 9 by Cullen Bunn and Carla Speed McNeil

Sorry for all that scrolling. Let’s get into it!

If you aren’t reading Paper Girls, you should be.

It’s fresh, the art pops, and Brian K. Vaughn writes it. The book is about a group of newspaper delivery girls who discover some crazy ass shit. It’s cool.

If you aren’t reading Harrow County, you should be.

It’s unlike anything you’ve read before; there are wonky ghoulies, skinless children, flaming ghosts, beautiful and haunting artwork, as well as crazy twists. Despite this, my favourite part of each book is still the spooky short story and comic strip at the end of each issue. They will blow your mind and leaving you thinking about them for weeks.

If folklore + militia = sounds like a fun time to you, then you’ll love Cry Havoc. Me, not so much. There isn’t a lot of meat in the first issue; you might want to wait until you can read a few at a time.

If you like wasting your time reading mediocre X-Men stories in which everyone just cries about how much damage Scott Summers did to the mutant population, then all the current X-Men books are for you. Seriously, though, the X-Men complain about Scott more than I complained about the state of Spider-Man in the Marvel universe last week.

Ok, maybe they aren’t that bad. In fact, all the books are at a point where they might be getting entertaining. It’s just too bad all these issues had to be published first. If you like Mr. Sinister, Extraordinary X-Men might be worth your time. If you like Apocalypse, you might want to start paying attention as Apocalypse Wars is coming this spring!

Oh yeah, Captain Marvel is a lot of fun too, whether you’re familiar with the character or not.

That’s all for now.

Are you reading any of these books? I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of Mark Bagley’s art these days? Tweet us or tweet me!

Geekscape Comics: Marvel NOW! Teaser Reveals ‘Uncanny X-Men’ From Bendis And Bachalo

by Shawn MaddenNovember 2, 2012

It appears Cyclops and his Extinction team will be getting their own title next February. The latest Marvel NOW! teaser seems to indicate that Uncanny X-Men will be getting relaunched with an all-new #1 from the creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo. If you haven’t been reading AvX Consequences…you better start catching up now.

Source: Marvel

Welcome to “Marvel Mania Hollywood” – The Restaurant That Time Forgot!

by GeekscapeStaffJune 24, 2012

With the success of The Avengers and the upcoming release of The Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel fandom is at an all time high. But there was a time, only 10 years ago, when this wasn’t the case, when the idea of having our favorite Marvel characters inhabiting our cinema screens and being widely accepted as cool was merely a dream. In that day, before the X-Men and Spider-Man films blew the doors open, there was still a place you could go to see your favorite Marvel characters in real life… and maybe even share a drink with them!

In November of 1998, at Universal Studios, the Marvel Mania Restaurant opened its doors for business. It offered food and drinks based on almost every Marvel hero (and villain!) that you could imagine. Sadly, it was closed less than a year later, in September of 1999. What happened? Why did it go under? What fiends were responsible (I’m guessing the chefs and the prices…)?

We may never know. But here, Geekscape has provided scans of the two original menus for you to look over… so that you can dream of a day, before Marvel was widely accepted as cool, when you could feed your feelings of geekdom alongside its largest symbols.

Personally, I’m a fan of “Doc Ock’s Wok”. What’re your favorites off the menu?

Bonuses: Jonathan and his wife Laura read over the menu in this episode of Geekscape. You can also download the Kids Menu here as a PDF, compliments of TheStudioTour.com!

Geekscape Casts The ‘X-Factor’ Movie!

by Matt BlackwoodFebruary 28, 2012

With the financial and critical success of X-Men: First Class breathing new life into the franchise, Fox is almost certainly on the lookout for the next breakout title in Marvel’s extended mutant family. I have no idea how writers might squeeze the convoluted continuity of Peter David’s super-powered detective agency into the confused canon of the film universe, but I do know who I’d like to see in an X-Factor movie.

JOSHUA JACKSON as MULTIPLE MAN

Over the past few years, Peter David has made Jamie Madrox one of the most complicated and interesting characters in comics. Madrox has used his simple ability to create duplicates of himself to learn several lifetimes’ worth of skills, which he uses to investigate mutant-related crime.

Joshua Jackson naturally exudes Madrox’s boyish charm and disdain for authority. He is also credible as a man of varied talents; he’s in his fourth season playing jack of all trades Peter Bishop on Fox’s sci-fi drama Fringe.

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD as SIREN

Not only is Howard the spitting image of Theresa Cassidy, but growing up in the shadow of her famous father gives her an emotional inroad to play Banshee’s daughter. She can also scream with the best of them, as evidenced in last year’s The Help. Plus, she is a bona fide nerd, having publicly declared her love of the Luna Brothers’ The Sword.

PAULA PATTON as MONET

Monet St. Croix hit the genetic jackpot: flight, super strength, invulnerability, mind-reading, AND the looks of a supermodel. Paula Patton can definitely pull off the looks aspect but also proved she could balance emotion and action in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

PAUL “BIG SHOW” WIGHT as STRONG GUY

No ordinary man could fill the over-sized shoes of Guido Carosella (whose code name is a joke that stuck), but the Big Show is far from ordinary. The 7-ft, 200-lb wrestler might actually look believable lifting a car AND he can act, recently carrying the entire feature Knucklehead on his broad shoulders.

KELLY MACDONALD as WOLFSBANE

Boardwalk Empire‘s import has been in over 30 movies since her debut in 1996’s Trainspotting. She definitely has the range to capture the mood swings of the lycanthropic Rahne Sinclair WHILE using her natural Scottish brogue.

ELLE FANNING as LAYLA MILLER

Young Elle Fanning hinted at her potential in Spielberg’s Super 8, and playing the precocious and enigmatic Layla Miller would let her realize it. Check out her spooky performance in The Nines, and you will believe she knows stuff.

GAEL GARCIA BERNAL as RICTOR

Julio Richter’s ability to generate earthquakes is awesome, but it will take more than just knowing your faultlines to bring the bisexual superhero’s emotional depth to life. Acclaimed actor Bernal usually stars in Oscar bait like Amores Perros and The Motorcycle Diaries, so this role would be a great opportunity for him to shake things up.

JERI RYAN as VAL COOPER

Jeri Ryan is a great actress who has plenty of nerd cred, having played 7 of 9 in over a hundred episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. Not to mention she may as well have modeled for X-Factor’s government liaison.

That’s just one fan’s opinion. Let me know what you think!

Geekscape’s Before First Class – What If An X-Men Movie Was Made In The Early 90s?!?

by Joe StarrFebruary 20, 2012

With an announced sequel to X Men: First Class, and the rumors of a rebooted 1960’s Fantastic Four, retro Marvel is officially IN. This has led Geekscape to wonder: what if different Marvel franchises had actually been released in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s?

Or, maybe you think it’s stupid to cast a Marvel movie in a different decade, justify the lineup, and pitch a plot. Well, that’s why we at Geekscape consider ourselves to be heroes, in a way. We waste our time doing the stupid things the world is afraid to do.

The 90’s: THE X MEN

It’s 1994. X Men: The Animated Series is wildly popular, and the X Men are settling in as the most popular comic franchise of the decade. A movie spinning out of the popular Jim Lee designs of the animated series using its lineup has to happen. It just makes sense- why wait until 2000? It is only logical that the Uncanny X Men join the film legacy of 1994: The Flintstones. The Mask. Speed. Star Trek: Generations. Speed. Speed.

The pitch: All has been quiet in the mutant world since Magneto exiled himself to Asteroid M. Government tensions are at an all time high with the self appointed savior of mutantkind in orbit. The uneasy peace is shattered when Magneto is approached by The Acolytes and their leader Fabian Cortez, who manipulates Magneto and his followers into a declaration of war against the surface! And Gyrich is there, too! The only ones that can prevent a third world war? THE X MEN! Dwee do do be dooooo do do! Dwee do do be dooooooo do da! X MEN THEME SONG.

And who will play the mutants in a world that hates and fears them?

CHARLES XAVIER

Morgan Freeman? Are you crazy? SUCK IT, WORLD, YOU’RE CRAZY. There’s more to Xavier than being a bald white guy. He’s also wise, inspiring, and got his start doing Listerine commercials. Fresh out of The Shawshank Redemption, Freeman brings the cred as the telepathic founder of the X Men. Plus, it’s at least 30% appropriate that one half of Marvel’s civil rights metaphor is actually black. At least.

MAGNETO

Magneto. The exiled mutant leader and Holocaust survivor. Powerful. Intelligent. Charismatic. Handsome enough that Rogue constantly wants to bang him. Jeff Goldblum. Jeff Goldum you say? Don’t mind if I do. “Sure John, but at Disney, the Pirates of the Caribbean didn’t come to life and use their magnet powers to kill the flatscans.” Words we can all live by.

SCOTT SUMMERS

Val Kilmer. The man who would be Bruce Wayne would make a much better Scott Summers. Stoic. Serious. Handsome. He will be your wingman anytime. I can’t think of anyone in 1994 better groomed to lead the X Men into battle. Except maybe Zero Cool from Hackers. I thought long and hard on that one. Heh. Long. Hard. 90’s humor.

JEAN GREY

The woman who would be the weird character who wanted to bang Bruce Wayne. If Nicole Kidman could put up with Tom Cruise, she can deal with the enormous pressures of the Phoenix. And she can totally pull off constant fainting and shouting ‘Scott!’ and ‘Logan!’ That’s probably the audition. “Slate please. Now look right off camera here and shout ‘Scott.’ Thank you, you’ll hear from us soon.”

FABIAN CORTEZ

Is Michael Wincott super Fabian Cortezy? Possibly not. But was he the awesome bad guy in The Crow? Fuck yes he was. Can you see him being Jeff Goldblum’s right hand man and then (1991 spoiler alert) turning on him? Yes. Yes you can.

GYRICH

Gary Oldman. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, High Ranking Racist Pentagon Official.

STORM

Angela Bassett. Originally Vivica Fox, but we’ve really got to make some tough decisions about who could eventually look better with a mohawk in 1995’s sequel X Men and Jubilee (played by Angels in the Outfield’s Joseph Gordon Levitt).

ROGUE

Perhaps it’s just because I’m the president of the ‘this chick deserved a better career’ club, but Rogue goes to Kari Wuhrer. You know her from 8 Legged Freaks and Command and Conquer: Red Alert. I know her from pictures on AOL when I was becoming a man. And what stronger choice to make for the woman who can’t touch anyone than a woman that a 6^th grader really, really wants to touch? It’s poetic and artistic. Like something Alan Moore would write. You guys know Alan Moore? He’s the greatest writer of all time. And he would love this movie. I’m 70% sure of that.

BEAST

James Spader was crushing the sci fi world as the geek that can also kick ass if he has to in STARGATE. Put blue fur on this man immediately! Fun fact: I bet they could have made him look better in 1994 than they did in X Men: First Class. BURN.

WOLVERINE

The Quick and the Dead’s Russell Crowe. He’s the best at what he does. And what he does is throw phones at people in 15 years.

GAMBIT

Cut from the film. Special effects weren’t available in 1994 to replicate his accent properly.

Editor’s Note: Screw you, Joe! You don’t want Van Damme in ANYTHING (except you)! And where’s my Brian “The Boz” Bosworth as Colossus?!?

HAVOK

Come on, how is this not better than Gambit? Rogue can fall in love with him AND he’s the angry younger brother of the team leader. And if the 90’s taught us anything, no one plays ‘angry young brother of the team leader’ better than CHRISTIAN SLATER. This really makes me wish that his character in Pump Up The Volume was actually Alex Summers and at the end his power manifests and he blows up all those FCC trucks. And then he yells ‘Stay hard!’

So who would direct this all out 90s X-Fest? How about a director who spent the end of the 80s making kick ass action film after kick ass action film?

KICK ASS 90s DIRECTOR

John McTiernan made Predator in 1987, Die Hard in 1988 and The Hunt for Red October in 1990. On top of his game, he then made the critical Sean Connery bomb Medicine Man in 1992 and broke Arnold’s hot streak with Last Action Hero in 1993. Ouch. We’d rewrite history to have McTiernan making an X-Men movie for 1994 instead during these dark years before he made Die Hard: With a Vengeance in 1995. How’s that for a career save? We can’t help him with 2002’s Rollerball though…

Well, we’ve learned a lot about me with this one. Mainly, that I wrote more about Kari Wuhrer than Gary Oldman, so I guess we get my priorities. Next week we’re turning the clock another ten years back to avenge the Reagan era! I want my where’s the beef! Members Only Jackets Assemble! I’m casting an 80’s Avengers movie.