Happy Mother's Day to All the Moms and Mother Figures!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and mother figures out there. I love my mom, Ellen, and the mother of our son, Clarkson, the wonderful Samii. All of you mothers and those who have served a motherly role are awesome!

George Perez Has Passed

I learned earlier today that George Perez has passed at 67. He died yesterday after having previously disclosed he had pancreatic cancer and would be going on hospice. During the limited time we knew we had left with him fans gave Perez an outpouring of love. Also, "JLA/Avengers," was reprinted against all odds with profits going to the Hero Initiative, an organization of which Perez was a huge advocate. We all knew this was coming after Perez told us, but it still stings. I met Perez back in 2013 at Project Comic-Con and he was a delight. He chatted eagerly with attendees and made the most gorgeous sketches at astonishing speed. Perez was an amazing artist and an awesome guy. I'm tired of saying this--as I just said it about Neal Adams--he will be missed.

Film Friday on a Saturday: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

A local theater actually had a very early showing of, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," yesterday. For that reason, I was able to catch it at 10AM with my friend, Doug. Doug and I both enjoy Marvel flicks and he loves the works of Sam Rami (who directs this feature). I wanted to give it a day for the movie to settle in mind so I'm posting my review on a Saturday. Also, as this is still fresh in theaters I will offer some spoiler-free thoughts and then more spoiler-filled observations before my conclusion.

Relatively Spoiler-Free Segment

This is what you get if you marry the Marvel Universe with a horror movie. Rami has experience with both genres and to this film's credit, it doesn't feel too much like a bland, "House style," Marvel project in the same manner that, say, "Avengers: Endgame," was. I will forever say I liked that film well enough but found it to be a slog. The creepy imagery and visceral fight scenes honestly made me a little surprised this squeaked by with a PG-13 rating considering just how nasty stuff could get. 

I am of the apparently small number of people who really liked the first, "Doctor Strange," and this has a very different vibe but still features Benedict Cumberbatch doing a solid job balancing arrogance and humanity in his portrayal of Dr. Stephen Strange. Plus, it isn't spoilery to share (as they feature in the previews) that Elizabeth Olsen does a lovely job as Wanda Maximoff and Xochitl Gomez is a delight as a newcomer to the MCU, America Chavez. Rachel McAdams is back as Dr. Christine Palmer, but feels as criminally underutilized as she was in the first flick considering how talented she is. Between the great special effects and fantastic acting, what could I have been less-than-impressed by? For that, we need to discuss the plot a bit more and move into my spoiler-filled segments.

Spoilers Ahead

I and others have been kind of bummed that, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," basically takes Wanda's story of someone living through tragedy and trauma the best they can and casts it all aside to make her a villain. For this film she literally turns into a blood-stained horror movie slasher, killing tons of people who get in her way whilst stalking her would-be victims through hallways as she snarls and her eyes glow their creepy red hue. Despite some efforts to make us feel a little bad for her--"I'm not a monster, I'm a mother!" she is still murdering a slew of folks in an effort to then kill America Chavez and use her powers to find a reality where she can have her children from, "Wandavision," that she lost as they didn't really, "Exist," in her reality.

Also, there is the much-buzzed-about Illuminati which features some fun actors stepping into roles such as fan-favorite Patrick Stewart returning as Professor X and John Krasinski appears as a universe's Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. These and other appearances sadly are little more than cameos as the whole Illuminati essentially finds itself reduced to cannon fodder for Wanda. The exact continuity of these characters isn't really touched upon further (such as if we will get Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic in the main Marvel Universe now with that movie on the way) and they are basically big helpings of fan-service...before their brutal murders. If a viewer thinks of them more as a fun bonus addition to the flick as opposed to expecting them to play a huge role it isn't a big issue they are around so briefly, however.

Concluding Thoughts (No More Spoilers)

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," is a fun movie filled with personality thanks to Sam Rami's skill and little flourishes. Even if certain elements of the story itself perturbed me the amazing effects and great acting makes it a lovely way to spend 2 hours and some change. Just be prepared for some shockingly gross and scary imagery. Those with sensitive stomachs or who dislike horror may need to sit this one out. Those into that kind of stuff will love this, however. Oh, and Doug thought it was great too.

4 out of 5 stars.

It is Free Comic Book Day!

Today, the first Saturday in May, is Free Comic Book Day! It is always a fun day where publishers release special comics which the shops then distribute at no cost! Many comic stores participate so go to a comic shop and get some free comics! Keep in mind that they don't get the books for free so maybe buy something too so that you can show your support. Now, go get some free comics!

Film Friday: This Documentary about the KLF Looks Fascinating

The KLF was a music group that made all kinds of fascinating and wild jams. They were making mash-ups before that was even a word. This article discusses how soon a documentary will be coming out all about the KLF and their zany story. Titled, "Who Killed the KLF?" they arguably destroyed themselves if one knows a little of their history, with the two members intentionally deleting their entire catalog at one point. There is undoubtedly a lot to the story, however, and when this documentary is released it'll be interesting to hear some answers!

The Fan Expo for Saint Louis is a Bit More Than a Week Away

Fan Expo Saint Louis will run from Friday, May 13th of 2022 to Sunday, May 15th. Formerly known as Wizard World, I went to plenty of those and had a lot of fun. Therefore, I am eager to attend the Fan Expo in a bit more than a week! There are going to be so, so many celebrities at the show. From Ron Perlman to Michael Rooker, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes to Billy West and Charles Martinet, it is going to be quite the event! I didn't even name all the folks in attendance just then either. We've got a bunch of the cast of, "Smallville," Carl Weathers, Luci Christian, Nolan North, and the list goes on! 

It isn't just celebrities at the show, of course, there will be vendors of comics, toys, video-games, and other goodies as well as gaming, cosplay, panels, and plenty of fun. I am excited to attend and hope to see some of you all there!

Today is a Big Day for Star Wars Lovers

The original expression is, "May the force be with you." Then the fan holiday of May 4th came about because it sounds similar when you say, "May the fourth be with you." Over time as with lots of things individuals come up with corporations have gotten involved and now May 4th is basically the biggest official holiday for fans of the Star Wars franchise. I have enjoyed the Star Wars-related stuff I have seen but am by no means an expert. It is cool to have a Star Wars-related day though!

Abortion Rights Look Like They Are Going to Be Overturned in a Massive Step Backward for the Nation

I could go on about this for hours so I will try to be relatively succinct. A draft majority opinion leaked from the Supreme Court indicates that the conservative majority will be overturning Roe and abortion rights will lose all Federal protections. Yes, Justices who claimed that abortion rights were, "Settled law," or had, "Precedents," were, of course, lying and legislating from the bench with their own personal views impacting National policy. You know, lots of conservatives claims they value privacy and liberty and hate justices who let politics influence their decisions, but as soon as it comes to abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and the like they love the Federal Government getting in people's business. I am disgusted. CNN keeps updating the news as things evolve, but the outlook is not promising.

Apparently, women or people who identify with other gender identities but who can give birth are nothing more than ovaries and uteruses on legs. We can't trust them to make their own decisions about their body and now it is a decision states get to make with about half of them chomping at the bit to ban abortion in almost all cases. I have been open in the past about my own family's struggle with losing a pregnancy and how because we had a heartbeat even if there was no way to have a viable baby we had to have what essentially counted as an abortion. I wrote back in 2020 this paragraph in my post about that:

"Even if we lived in a state that had outlawed abortion the procedures would have been allowed as this was a medical situation, but it is scary to think how much more paperwork there could have been or how much longer things could have taken. Samii could have died due to too much legal junk, and there was already a lot of legal junk we had to sign while sobbing because we wanted this baby, we just couldn't have it. Sometimes people who lose their babies become very anti-abortion. If anything, this has shown me how private a choice it is for a family to decide if they have to terminate a pregnancy or not. This is something that should be up to a family and their doctors. The doctors told us everything and it was clear after having all the facts laid-out there was no way to keep Samii and this baby alive. We truly appreciate everything all medical teams at Mercy and BJC did. We were in the midst of one of the hardest weeks of our lives and being given accurate facts and data allowed us to know what to do in order to save the life of my wife."

Now, however, plenty of people will have the Government sticking its nose in their extremely private and extremely painful moments. This is a violation of civil rights and as others online have pointed out, this is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Supreme Court overturning other rulings such as ones that granted the right of same-sex marriage. It seems like instead of a United Country we want to have little conservative fiefdoms carved out in some states that forbid any progress made in the last 50 years or so. I'm outraged, feel sick, and would say I'm shocked, but I'm not. This has been the endgame of the Right-wing for decades. They kept slithering their way into power and chipping away at abortion rights until they could break out the sledgehammer. They would go on about personal liberty, taxes, and jobs, but then use their power to fight any kind of social progress. Here we are in 2022 and abortion rights look like they're due to be overturned shortly with other progress soon to follow.

The Embracer Group Keeps Snatching Up Game Publishers

A publisher I've barely heard about keeps quietly buying up other game-makers. This fascinating article on Kotaku by Ethan Gach explains who the company known as the Embracer Group is and how they've been scooping up game publishers for years and then having them make decent games that then turn a tidy profit and keep Embracer Group making dough. They are getting more press as they just bought some studios from Square Enix and the rights that come with the deal. Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montreal are all getting sold by Square Enix proper and IPs such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver, and more are now going to be under the control of Embracer.

Embracer seems eager to let these studios keep chugging along making games (as appears to be the case with previous acquisitions that didn't get too much shaken up either). Hopefully, this won't lead to nasty lay-offs or a bunch of drama and will lead to some cool new games getting made.

The ToyMan Show of May 2022 Was a Delight!

I was unable to attend the last ToyMan Show in March so I was extra eager to swing by the one today that kicked off May! I started the show by chatting with my friend John Chaffe of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles as well as my good chum Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles. I ran into Vince of VK Toys and got to see Tom of Alliance Comics, Toys, and Games. Larry of Bug's Comics and Games had a ton of great stuff for sale as well. After chatting with my friend Tim Metzger at his spot I got a great deal on some comics from Dustin White and Tamara Gassert at their booth. Check out my finds:

That beat-up, "Moon Knight," #1 was just ten dollars and I can't say no to a Moon Knight comic! In the upstairs area I saw the good folks from Heroes for Kids from Perryville and Lindsay Hornsy was selling her awesome books from the Mega Giganto imprint. I chatted with creators and friends Jennifer Stolzer and Jessica Mathews about how Planet Comic-Con was (it happened recently and I didn't have the time to attend). I also picked up the latest book from them, "The Old Man and the Pirate Princess Meet a Magical Menace." It just came out and I am excited to read it to Clarkson! Give it a look:

The ToyMan Show is always incredible fun. If I were to ever offer a, "Complaint," about the show it would be how there is just so much stuff that you could never have enough time to check out all the awesome things for sale! Between the new toys, vintage toys, Funko products, Lego, comics, movies, model kits, and more it is just a show that is jam-packed with great items! You can visit the show's website here and start planning for the next one on July 10th of 2022!