Neal Adams Has Passed

Neal Adams has died at the age of 80. He was an amazing creator. He made so many awesome comics and was outspoken about the people who made our beloved artform getting proper treatment. I saw him at two separate conventions and he was engaging and excited to talk about everything from, "Batman: Odyssey," to how people were getting famous on social media and that he wished he had that technology back in the day as the world was getting more and more connected in fabulous ways.

I would read stories of some people running into Adams at cons and him not being in the best mood, but I am pleased that any time I saw him he was extremely friendly and otherwise beaming with excitement to see fans at a convention. It cannot be stated enough how much Adams did for the art form of comics and fighting for creator's rights. He will be missed.

Film Friday: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a Stupendously Good Time

I was able to catch a showing of Nicholas Cage's latest movie, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." It stars Nick Cage as, well, Nick Cage. He plays a (slightly) exaggerated version of himself who is equally eager to work and exhausted with Hollywood. As the trailer for the film shows, to pay off some debt he goes to the birthday party of an eccentric rich guy who loves Cage's work and supposedly has made a fortune in agriculture but might be hiding some secrets. Pedro Pascal plays this fellow and is an absolute hoot. Pascal and Cage just being zany and off the wall is the main draw of this film and they deliver the goods. 

Watching Nicholas Cage poke fun at himself in such a self-aware manner while also actually making a convincing argument for himself as deserving of a little more respect as an actor gives the whole movie a surreal metafictional air. How much is drawn from real life and how much is exaggerated, one is left to wonder? Plus, it helps that this film is hilarious. Everyone in the supporting cast is terrific from Neil Patrick Harris as Cage's agent to Sharon Horgan as Cage's latest ex-wife and Lily Sheen as Cage's very annoyed teenage daughter. Plus, we get Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish as CIA agents who riff off of each other deliciously. At just over an hour and a half, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," is the perfect length, never wearing out its welcome but instead leaving us wanting more. This is definitely worth watching.

5 out of 5 stars.

Film Friday: Sony Is Making Some Random Spidey-Related Flicks

 

Sony owns the rights to characters that relate to Spider-Man. They've shared with Disney/Marvel so that everyone at both companies can cheer as money falls from the ceiling as if it were a game show. Seriously, the last Spidey flick was especially bonkers in how much it made. However, Sony does have its own flicks that can essentially acknowledge Spider-Man but not always the MCU, maybe? There might be a separate Universe? It is still unclear exactly how the rules work, but Sony is doing its own thing too with stuff like Venom, Morbius, a Kraven movie incoming, Madame Web, and now...El Muerto?

Yes, El Muerto is a character who appeared in a couple of, "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," comics some years ago...then was never heard from again. He's going to be in a movie with musician Bad Bunny playing him. This was announced at the same time Sony mentioned the no-brainer of, "Venom III." People went from saying, "Of course!" to even those who know deep-cut characters that have interacted with Spider-Man scratching their heads and saying, "Huh?" I thought making a Madame Web movie was digging heavily into a list of Spidey's friends & foes, but this is as deep a dive as there ever was. If the movie will be good I don't mind by any means how random a character is getting a film, however. I'll just take some quality entertainment.

Time For an Article About How Wendy's Has Made Me Angry

I will never eat at the Wendy's near our house ever again. I will still eat at other Wendy's restaurants, but the one near our home has angered me to an absurd degree that I'm going full-on Karen, as the kids say. You see, I may live in one of the safest cities in Missouri, but I feel outright robbed by that Wendy's. I tried to handle everything in a respectable manner without going online and complaining as us David's apparently like to do, but all other options are exhausted and I shall use my very public platform to discuss how a fast food restaurant did me wrong.

It was April 19th of 2022 and I went to the Wendy's located at 14799 Manchester Road. I had ordered in the Wendy's app so that my order would hopefully have zero chance of being messed up. When I arrived there at 6:45 PM the line was crazy-long. That was okay, I know stores are short on staff so it is important to be patient. I waited in the drive-thru line (nobody was allowed inside the location and it was drive-thru only) and got to the order box. I told them my order and was informed I needed to pull up a bit so they could bring it to me when it was ready. After waiting some more my food was brought out. I had ordered two drinks and a Frosty. I was only given one drink and a Frosty but before I could say anything the employees had run back inside. It was 7:35 PM or so by this point and the store was set to close at 8PM so I just shrugged and figured that would be the only mistake, perhaps. I was wrong.

I got home and my wife's nuggets were missing, my chicken sandwich was totally wrong, and the drink that we did get was not even correct. Half the order was incorrect or missing. At this point, Wendy's was closed so I figured I would go the next day to tell them what happened and they'd be happy to fix everything. I was soon to learn that I was wrong yet again.

The next day I went to Wendy's after I dropped Clarkson off at school. I drove up to the order window and told them how I had placed an order in the app, came to get it, and that a big chunk was wrong. I said I could show them the app if they had any questions. They asked if it was a Doordash order and I explained that no, it was me in the app. They asked if I had gone back to the store yesterday or called. I clarified the store had already closed by then. I was told that because I hadn't made the problem known yesterday or called even if the store was already closed, I was out of luck. I was surprised to hear this because you know who fixes problems near our house if something is wrong? Basically any other fast food store near us. If I go to the McDonald's near our home at 15204 Manchester Road and inform them an item was forgotten or messed up, they offer to replace it or give me a gift card. I always have the receipt, but they say it is all good if I offer to give it to them--they just help me. Wendy's did the opposite.

I did some Googling and eventually found the number to call Wendy's hotline. I called and after holding for some time got a human. I explained everything that had happened so far to them. They said they could refund me the value of the items in the app or could inform the general manager at that specific Wendy's so that the manager could call and talk with me. I said I'd be happy to talk with the manager so I could discuss with them what had gone wrong and how things could be improved in the future. It has been a number of days and no manager has called from that Wendy's. 

I can only conclude that whoever is running the Wendy's near my house doesn't care that a customer is upset. They didn't know this customer had a blog that attracts a significant number of readers every month who enjoy pop-culture ramblings. They also didn't know that I'm perturbed enough to call out this specific Wendy's and then tweet the corporate account so they can be aware of how disappointing this specific location is. As I said, I'll still eat at Wendy's but don't expect to ever see me at that location closest to our house ever again. I'm far too petty, and I will admit that. I would still encourage people to eat at Wendy's restaurants that are near them, but if you're ever in my area and see this specific Wendy's, just keep driving up the street to the McDonald's is what I'd suggest.

"The Death of the Justice League," Gives Us That and Little Else

Death in comics means basically nothing (at least in hero-focused stuff). When a character dies the odds are they'll be back. It might take less than even a year or decades, but they return. The saying used to go that nobody stays dead besides, "Bucky, Jason Todd, and Uncle Ben." Then they brought Jason Todd back as the Red Hood, Bucky came back as the Winter Soldier (and Captain America for a time). Uncle Ben remains dead, but seeing as how an alternate-universe version of Gwen Stacy now is a big thing and folks thought she would have to stay dead...who knows about some multiversal Uncle Ben appearing someday? My point is that death in comics is impermanent but if you make that death seem like it matters at least then the death itself can result in some good drama. Should killing your character/s produce some good storytelling, go ahead and do it even though we all know they'll be returning before too long. This leads me to ask, how could a comic about killing a bunch of the Justice League in, "Justice League," #75 feel underwhelming of all things?

I've not been reading the main, "Justice League," comic much, but have been following general summaries of the story and was dipping my toe into the, "Justice League Incarnate," that the main team encounters and works with this issue. Basically, a Darkness is sweeping the Universe and it seems like this is the kind of challenge that can't be beaten. Everyone teams up (the JL, JLI, and other characters who got pulled into the fight such as Black Adam) and a man known as Pariah appears and causes all kinds of trouble along with the Darkness as a bunch of the OG Justice League die. Some get smashed, others are instantly disintegrated, it is supposed to be dramatic, but it is less of a big deal itself than ending with the cliffhanger of, "Read Dark Crisis to see what happens next!"

Joshua Williamson is a skilled writer and Rafa Sandoval is an amazing artist. However, they have the unenviable task of taking an issue that is in some ways a big climax of storylines but has to set up an event, and this results in this feeling a bit like the ending half of one story and the beginning half of another instead of its own dramatic thing. I mean, a big chunk of the Justice League is dead, in the main DC continuity! That should be wild! Remember when other comic characters have died how it made National news? This wiping out of a whole bunch of major characters has barely registered a pulse among the media or readers. That's not for lack of Sandoval's stellar art either. He illustrates the heroes fighting the Darkness and those under its control gorgeously. The comic is basically one massive fight scene and thanks to Sandoval it is a stupendous one. 

I'm going to guess all or most of these heroes will return during or after, "Dark Crisis." I may be wrong, but I could see that happening--which is fine! As I said, superhero deaths happen as often as the common cold in comic-books. Still, I just wish this felt more like its own dramatic occurrence as opposed to a mix of a blasé ending merged with an attempt to start an event with a, "Shocking," number of deaths.

2.5 out of 5 stars overall (the art is worthy of 5 out of 5 stars, however).

I Reviewed, "Gnartoons," for Forces of Geek

I'll review things sometimes for my chums over at Forces of Geek. I just read and offered my thoughts on, "Gnartoons," by James the Stanton. It is a very strange comic without a doubt. Did I love it for that reason? Hate it? Read my review here and find out!

A Short Thought on Netflix and Their Silly Business Moves

Hey, Netflix. If you're losing customers (and your stock is in trouble) I don't think your responses are the smartest moves. You probably shouldn't start showing ads or cracking down on password sharing because I can think of plenty of people who would just outright cancel Netflix if ads pop up or sharing gets nixed. With so many streaming options out there Netflix is still the biggest dog in the game, but it is no longer the only big dog. Plenty of others are coming for the crown. Don't think investing in games is going to be a surefire way to stay on top either, Netflix. Maybe stop canceling shows people like so quickly, or before they can even give them a chance? You throw so much at all the walls and don't even wait to see what sticks. 

Other streaming services might have less in terms of the sheer amount of stuff, but what is there is nice and curated and enjoyable. Because you're the Netflix you don't have an exact niche like some streaming services that do specific things and do them well, you're all over the place. That's fine too, but asking us to pay more when other services cost a ton less and provide similar quality entertainment is dumb. You're making some silly business moves that are only going to make things quite bad before they possibly get better...or just become even worse. Tread carefully these next few months, Netflix, you don't want to piss everyone off and tank your stock even more.

My Two Favorite Foreign Sodas Are Actually Both Owned by Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Corporation makes a lot of products. They have certain sodas you can only (easily) find in other countries. My two favorite, "Foreign," sodas are actually created by Coke and that's just trippy. I am referring to Inca Kola and Thums Up. Now, Inca Kola was originally its own company but due to corporate restructuring and debt, they basically let Coke take over the brand in 1997 besides in the soda's native country of Peru. Thums Up was created by Coke employees the Chauhan brothers and a research team in 1977 and is huge in India. Both drinks are very different yet tasty in their own unique way.

Inca Kola is sweet and fruity, with some thinking it reminds them of a cream soda with a slight hint of lemon. Thums Up tastes a bit like Coke but with a stronger smack of cinnamon and perhaps nutmeg--it is almost a bit spicy. You can find Inca Kola in America in South American specialty stores with Thums Up found in Indian grocery stores. I am, of course, working at drinking less soda overall, but when I get hankering for a carbonated sweet drink these hit the spot. It is just odd that these decidedly, "International," drinks both have a very domestic owner.

A Madballs and Garbage Pail Kids Crossover Sounds Quite Fun

I've written before about being a fan of the weirdly hideous bouncy toys known as Madballs and the comics which featured them. Now, they and the parodic Garbage Pail Kids will be having an epic crossover via the publisher Dynamite! Yes, in July of 2022 there will be, "Madballs vs. Garbage Pail Kids," #1. Sholly Fisch shall be writing the mini-series and Jason Crosby is doing the art. This is probably going to be quite the wild little event and I'm excited about it!

"The Stretcher Bearers," is a Stark and Thoughtful Graphic Novel

I received a copy (for the purposes of review) of the graphic novel, "The Stretcher Bearers." Published by Dead Reckoning, they are the graphic novel division of the nonprofit organization known as the U.S. Naval Institute. This graphic novel is written by brothers Reid Beaman and Ryan Beaman with Reid illustrating. It is a superb piece of historical fiction that really puts readers into the thick of the World War I. The comic chronicles the lives of men known as stretcher bearers, soldiers, "who were tasked with running into harm’s way to rescue their fallen brethren from the clutches of death." We specifically follow Maxwell Fox with his fellow troops as they struggle to survive in the Hellish parts of the battlefield known as No Man's Land.

Reid's illustrations really impart how claustrophobic and crushing it must have felt being in the trenches as everything blew up or got shot to pieces around you, and his detailed art imparts how gruesome war could be without seeming intentionally nasty so much as just brutally honest about the horrors of combat. Whether facing poison gases, airplanes strafing them, or their own psyches' betraying them, Reid draws everything with fantastic skill as he and Ryan give us a tale of trying to find the faintest glimmers of hope in a nightmarish place.

"The Stretcher Bearers," is a fantastic book that shines a light on a war that often gets overlooked in our history classes and popular culture. Reid and Ryan Beaman do a fantastic job giving us a story that is harsh but not completely grim and definitely worth a read.

5 out of 5 stars.