Between Books - Origins of Marvel Comics: The 50th Anniversary Edition

1974’s Origins of Marvel Comics has long been on my bucket list of to read. But other books got in the way or I would say it’s nearly 50 years old and going nowhere fast. I can get to it later. Then editor Chris Ryall pushed this classic volume to the top of the list by packaging the Stan Lee classic into a pretty package that reached out to my nostalgia and history-loving heart.

Origins of Marvel Comics: The 50th Anniversary Edition by Stan Lee and edited by Ryall repackages the Lee text for a contemporary reader. Ryall provides readers with the Fireside book including all of Lee’s original commentaries and the art to match the original, for example, a green Hulk seen in the 1974 book and not the gray Hulk from the original comic. The stories found in the book include reprints of the origins of the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange along with a later issue to show more developed versions of the beloved heroes. Along with the original book are essays that discuss the history and importance of the book. Today’s writers using the light of history also discuss Lee’s original remarks with some looking to provide credit to writers like Jack Kirby, who felt that Lee’s words diminished their efforts. But, this is not a Lee-bashing book with the inclusion of essays from Lee proponents like his brother Larry Leiber. Artist Alex Ross provides the hardcover’s dust jacket with a new homage cover, which he provides a step-by-step process for within the text. As we look back at much of the controversy of the creation of many of these heroes, the new 2024 edition is a very balanced approach, recognizing the efforts of both Lee and his partner artists.

Reading this today, I am really glad I waited and didn’t try to find a secondary market copy of the 1974 or other editions. My assessment of the Marvel creators is that much like Disney corporate history, everything worked best with dual genius leading the way (Walt/Roy or Michael/Frank). I think that the golden age of Marvel creation was pushed forward by Lee and Kirby, Ditko, and other artists. Lee’s original introductions balance this reality, with him calling out the King Jack Kirby and his partnership with the Fantastic Four. But he with Doctor Strange wrote an introduction that was full Marvel publicity machine with Lee highlighting his efforts and framing Ditko’s role as assigned artist not a key voice in the Strange creation. These introductions from Lee give you the two sides found in the Marvel media machine of the 70’s, an all-encompassing Stan Lee with nodes to important artists that made the funny pictures come alive.

The new essays are not going to change everything. For example, the Lieber interview does not fully address the known tension between the brothers. But I do feel like the Lieber discussion does help show how Lieber feels today, as the surviving brother who in many ways is cherishing the memory of a brother who while distant at times was also supportive and brought him into the Marvel family.

Origins of Marvel Comics by Lee was an important cultural moment in the popular acceptance of comic books. Fireside put Marvel stories in a bound book and placed the stories in bookstores. Ray Bradbury wrote a review of the book, included in the text, which demonstrated the important literary moment for comics with this publication. In the book, even Lee calls the comics strips, the more culturally accepted visual media of the time. There were no graphic novels. In fact, this may be one of the first models for a graphic novel. Bookstores were not being kept afloat with large sections fills with graphic novels and anime and all the toys and gear associated with these properties. Fireside with this book made reading a comic acceptable due to the bound nature of the book. This first offering led to other Lee and Fireside offerings in books like Son of Origins of Marvel Comics and Bring on the Bad Guys. And this reader hopes that Ryall is given the chance to repackage some of the other volumes for today. Especially since these hardbacks would look really great side-by-side.

Origins of Marvel Comics: The 50th Anniversary Edition by Stan Lee and edited by Chris Ryall is a must-read for Marvel Comics fans. Even those who have a vintage copy on their shelf, will want to grab the new edition. First, let’s be honest, we are collectors. Second, the new essays and Ross’ art add to the context of the entire project. Finally, for those who have not dipped their two in, this work is an important moment in not just Marvel but now Disney history and you may wish to check it out. Without Lee’s bigger-than-life personality, we would fail to have the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other Marvel stories in so many formats that exist today.  

 

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Cap's Comics - What If…? Donald Duck Became The Mighty Thor

Lorenzo Pastrovicchio Cover

This summer we have been graced with Marvel comics that celebrated Disney classic characters with them taking the roles of Thanos and Wolverine. But summer has to end! Let’s end it with one last adventure.

“What If…? Donald Duck Became The Mighty Thor” with plot by Steve Behling, script by Riccardo Secchi, and art by Giada Perissinotto gives us one more look at the 90-year-old duck taking up the mantle of a Marvel hero. In this one-shot comic, Donald Duck takes his nephews on a Norwegian vacation to an ancient archaeological Viking site so they can earn their Junior Woodchuck medal for Ancient Viking Relic Explorers. While scrounging for priceless Viking heirlooms, the Earth is invaded by the Stone Ducks of Saturn who land on this ancient site. Donald seeking shelter from the danger finds an old wooden cane which when knocked grants a worthy one, wow Donald look at you, the power of the ancient Norse God Thor. Equipped with these new abilities, the Mighty Donald is the only hero who can save us all! 

Phil Noto Donald Duck Thor Cover

Of the three Disney specials we got this summer, this one is the most all-ages and maybe a little bit more kid-focused than the rest. There is a little less inside adult humor to me, with this offering being more of a kids-friendly brawl and fight story. The biggest Easter Egg for adults is the story’s heavy parallels to the original Journey into Mystery #83 story “The Mighty Thor and the Stone Men from Saturn” which was Stan Lee’s, Larry Lieber’s, and Jack Kirby’s debut of their Norse hero in 1962. The story in many cases is beat-for-beat of the original Marvel classic. And maybe this is why it seems more kid-friendly, with it being a very 1960s plot at a time when comics were more kid-focused. I do like the changes, with movie star Korg’s Stone Men being turned into Stone Ducks, which fit the story well.

Donald Duck is a good uncle and a horrible archeologist! 

Peach Momoko Cover

Perissinotto has given us art for two of these stories now. The art here is very approachable and inviting. One of the changes you will notice here is the writing duties shared. The plot was provided by Behling who has written a handful of young reader books for Disney, many using Stitch. The script, just like you would see in a movie with the frame-by-frame and line-by-line framework for the artist, was developed by Secchi. Secchi does not have many comic credits, but he has written Disney classic characters with an issue of Disney Hero Squad: Ultrahumans served up to readers over a decade ago at Boom! Studios. It’s not uncommon to see plot and script duties separated. One of my favorite examples is DC’s Justice League International. But much of the vigorous debate in the Marvel world is that often Stan Lee provided plots while his artists like Jack Kirby really did the scripting at various levels of detail. Which at times, did not make it clear who was responsible for what among the old masters. Overall, the team does a nice job, as I think kids would appreciate this story which may seem familiar if they have seen any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

However, I do wonder if the inclusion of an editor’s letter and some concept development pages in the end hint they may have been a little short in story? 

Walter Simonson Cover

“What If…? Donald Duck Became The Mighty Thor” with plot by Steve Behling, script by Riccardo Secchi, and art by Giada Perissinotto reminds us that summer always comes to an end! I have as a Disney and Marvel fan gotten a chuckle out of these one-shot comics. I have appreciated how on different levels there is something here for kids and adults, much like this issue. 

Skottie Young Cover

Turning the last page…wait, Minnie becomes Captain Marvel in November! Yes, please!

Between Books - Marvel's Thor: The Dark World - The Art of the Movie

I like Thor: The Dark World more than you!

I’ve never met anyone who legitimately seemed to enjoy it, to the level I did. So a few years ago I bought a copy of Marvel's Thor: The Dark World - The Art of the Movie because for that devotion and being a collector I had to catch them all after reading a few others. Then it sat on the Between Shelves, and I saw the prices of the rest and there was no completionist urgency in the world to get me to finish the whole set. And so that pages figuratively rotted on the vine till now.

Marvel's Thor: The Dark World - The Art of the Movie by Marie Javins and Stuart Moore takes readers through the journey to construct the movie of the same name. The book discusses general story settings of the journey such as looking at Asgard and Svartalfheim. A big emphasis is really on the scenery and the breakdown of scenes, where character development explanations are generally smaller portions of the book. The text is filled with a lot of concept art and storyboards.

I have read a few Art movie books. And this was generally not a favorite for me. As I mentioned, this book is a lot about the scenery and I feel like a lot of Art books give us greater detail on how the plot is developed. This book goes deep into how the worlds were physically and virtually built and not the story. The characters are also not fully discussed in their evolutions either. For example, the book discusses the replacement of metal with rope and fabric in Thor and Odin costumes but I don’t believe it really explained how the characters softened internally. And while one of my favorite model breakdowns was creating the dark elves, the evolving models did not really build characters but really attempted to show a visual representation of stock not-nice elves.

And while the art is beautiful and grand in scope, especially when showing backgrounds and scenery. But I also think there are too many black-and-white storyboards in this volume which cover numerous pages of the book. They are to me not as visually interesting as the giant splash images. And while I can see how concepts moved from page to screen, they did not differ to me enough to show me an evolving thought process which is often the most interesting thing in these books.

As someone who collects, completing a full set of Marvel Cinematic Universe art books seemed impossible to me. The secondary sales of some of these volumes were well beyond any price I might consider. I think this is why this volume sat unmoving on my shelve…why read it when I can’t catch them all. But hope has returned as Marvel has announced a new printing of 24 volumes of MCU “Art Of” books. Though I think I may have lost the desire to fill out the full set. 

I’m a weirdo. I may have liked Thor: The Dark World more than Marvel's Thor: The Dark World - The Art of the Movie. It is a fine volume. It does what it is asked to do by giving a visual description of how some concepts went from page to screen. But it lacked the discoveries that I really enjoy in this book genre.

 

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Between Books - Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

One of my best days as a Disney fan was the company's purchase of Marvel Comics.  I have often joked that all Marvel has to do after the LucasFilm addition is buy the Chicago Cubs and they have all of me.  To be fair, I would need them to buy a lacrosse team too!  The Marvel purchase has re-energized me in my love of comics, and loving history I have been seeking more and more about Marvel's past.  Needless to say, the over 450 pages in Marvel Comics: The Untold Story gave me plenty to think about.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe is a history of Marvel Comics from it's creation amongst a world of magazines to the Disney purchase.  The story begins with Martin Goodman and his Timely Comics founded in 1939.  Goodman liked to change the names of his magazines, comics and companies often, which lead in 1961 to Goodman's comic arm becoming Marvel Comics.  It is also in 1961, when Marvel's fortunes were on the rocks that editor-in-chief Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby introduced The Fantastic Four to the public as Marvel's first real superhero comic.  With the success of this super team other new creations followed including Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, the Hulk and the super team Avengers.  But despite all of the success that this Marvel Age brought the company there were still squabbles over royalties, credit and artistic freedom in the halls of Marvel, which was far from Stan Lee's happy picture of the Marvel Bullpen.  With the fortunes of publishing often waning, Lee attempted to lead Marvel into Hollywood attempting to get Marvel characters on television and movies.  Due to poor creative and business choices, Marvel would become a target of other companies for purchase, eventually with Disney buying Marvel's impressive character catalog.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is massive.  And I have noticed amongst my friends who have read it, no one read it fast.  It is dense and full of information, so do not expect to sprint through this very detailed and clear book.  This one will take some time, in fact I have been reading it slowly over a few months.

I have never seen Mad Men, but this is how I picture it would be.  As the company becomes a critical success in the 1960's men in ties work at drafting tables making heroes come alive.  However, there is a seedier darker side where creators vie for attention and struggle to get paid.  Some of the saddest portions of this text is reading of the relational damage these men did to each other as they fought to make a dollar as contractors and Marvel sought to stay profitable often by shorting the men who brought them stories.  This Mad Men was followed by the drug induced images of the 1970's as Marvel's office included many creators enjoying youth and available drugs to explore. 

Of course, one of the key players in all of this is Stan Lee.  Lee wrote the stories, mostly or kinda. He created the Marvel method where he provided artists with outlines, allowed them to draw and then added text afterwards.  And he hired and fired the staff.  I know that there is much debate about how creative Lee actually was during the Marvel Age and if he rode on the coattails of others like Kirby.  And it saddens me to read in these pages of the arguments between the two over creative credit.  So as one reads of Lee's move from New York to California to seek Marvel's Hollywood fortune, it comes as no surprise that he abandoned the world of monthly creators to go somewhere that isolated him from the office politics of the New York office.  I do feel that Howe portrays Lee correctly, as someone who is not a devil and may have mixed his facts sometimes.  But it also appears that he often attempted to give credit to his creative partners and was as upset as them if stories were too Lee-centric.  Another aspect I had not considered about Lee was the impact that the work for hire rules had on him.  While Marvel paid him well as the face of the company, he also had surrendered royalties to his greatest creations to the company while producing them for Marvel's titles. 

One aspect that I found intriguing was the long progression to get Marvel comics into film.  Lee efforted for years as Marvel stories were in development hell.  And he had become familiar with Marvel movies dying before they could enter production.  I think today we have become some used to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that we would not even think to consider that it did almost never happen.  

I did find myself laughing as one sales director is quoted as saying, "Marvel is not Disney (Howe, 385)."  They most definitely are now!  Over a decade later they would be.  Marvel in that late 90s began to experiment with harder edgier titles like Alias about Jessica Jones.  Creators amped up the violence and adult situations attempting to bring in adult paying audiences.  I have found it interesting in my own looks at Disney to consider that it is a family entertainment company where Marvel is based on the popularity of action violence.  And in many ways while Disney today attempts to use Marvel to bring in young boy audiences, it is the one arm of the company that appears to be able to provide the most edge.  

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is a must have for Disney fans who want to know more about all arms of the company and Marvel fans.  The tales found within its pages are not as black and white as the color comics that Marvel produces.  But it is a story of intrigue and men under pressure that many will be able to enjoy. 

Dreaming Disney - WDWNT: The Magazine - Thor's Journey Into Mystery

My last article is up at WDWNT: The Magazine.  The article, "Thor's Journey Into Mystery" explores the comic book origins of Thor: The Dark World's main characters including Thor and Loki.  The article discusses both first appearances, what happened afterwards, and a Disney connection to Thor in live action form.

As a bonus, if you want to hear my thoughts on Thor: The Dark World you can check out Welcome to Level Seven's podcast review.  Warning, it is full of spoilers!

Thor: The Dark World will be released for home video February 25th.  

Mousey Movie Preview - Thor: The Dark World TV Spot

What I really wanted to show today was the Avengers: Age of Ultron leaked trailer from San Diego Comic Con.  But everytime I go to watch it, Disney legal has gotten it taken down, likely moments before I went to view it.

So instead I give you Thor: The Dark World's recent TV promo, which was played during Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week.  Honestly, I loved this because Jane Foster gets a chance to address relationship stuff, dude why didn't you call!    

If you have not seen it yet, here is the full trailer for Thor: The Dark World which will be released on November 8, 2013. 

Dreaming Disney - How It Should Of Ended Marvel Edition

I really do not watch a lot of online videos.  But when I do, "How It Should Of Ended" comes to the top of my list.

These videos, which have spoilers, poke fun at some of our favorite movie and their plot holes.  So they are silly but also thoughtful.  In honor of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. here is a selection of Marvel Cinematic Universe videos.

I love this Iron Man 3 video which compares Iron Man 3 to The Incredibles.  And we find out how the Avengers move on after the events of the film.

And in The Avengers edition Batman and Superman compare themselves to the Marvel team.  

This bonus scene for The Avengers shows the softer side of the alien invaders in the Battle of New York.

This parody of Captain America: The First Avenger makes me wonder if he tried hard enough!

And in this video, Batman and Superman question Odin's parenting skills!


Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. debuts September 24th, so I hope you enjoy this videos as we get ready for more Coulson goodness.

Oh....and for a bonus video....Stan Lee inserts himself into some non-Marvel movies!

For more Marvel fun check out my podcast, Welcome to Level Seven, which will cover Agent Coulson and his team on the small screen. 

Mousey Movie (TV) Preview - Phineas and Ferb Mission Marvel

Okay, you've probably noticed I'm pretty into Marvel.  Seriously its not like I have started an entire podcast about my love of the Agent Coulson!  Okay I Did!

So the first major Disney/Marvel crossover happens this summer with Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel.   Enjoy the recently released trailer with me.

What did you think?

Personally I am a little nervous.  But I think I would be more nervous if Mickey Mouse was meeting Wolverine.  Let us be honest, pretty much anything is game in Phineas and Ferb's world!  And I noticed the Beak on a second viewing, how great would a Beak comic be! 

So I am hopeful that with most this Agent P, this is really good and could lead to other fun crossovers.

Hey...did I see S.H.I.E.L.D.  Yes, yes I did!

What do you think?

Mousey Movies - Star Trek

When I was growing up I watched my fair share of both Star Wars and Star Trek. Unfortunately, as time passed I met a girl, got a job, went to school, moved around, had some kids, bought a mini-van and watched less TV. When I returned from media silence, two loves ran to the top. One was Disney (of course) and the other was Star Wars. A lot of this had to do with being a father, since I could share these fandoms with my kids. I honestly have only watched one Trek movie in the last decade, and it was not that good.

In 2009 with director J.J. Abrams reboot/restart/continuation of the Trek saga with Star Trek, many of my friends were excited.

Me, not so much!

I did drag myself into a third run discount theater to see the film with a scratchy print and bad sound. The Between Tween who went with me loved it! I then destroyed the movie’s plot in front of the youngster, which may or may not have resulted in crying. I then promised to let the Tween watch something Star Wars to cleanse the mind. And then I thought this journey was over.

With the coming of the blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness, I have largely felt left out of the excitement again. However, things are different this time around. I decided I wanted the film to do well, purely because it would help build the audience for Star Wars: Episode VII since they share a director. Despite my new found hope in the darkness, I was still not sure when I would personally see it. But when the Between Wife made a comment about wanting to see the 2009 film, which I believe was solely based on those blue blue eyes of Chris Pine, I acted.

2009’s Star Trek tells the story of how the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise were brought together when facing an intergalactic emergency that threatens entire worlds. Federation recruit James T. Kirk is pulled into a battle against a disgruntled Romulan miner from the future named Nero. Our villain blames Ambassador Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy himself, for the death of his world. Nero chases Spock across time where they overlap with the younger version of Spock played by Zachary Quinto. The story shows us relationships growing amongst the core Trek characters while creating a new timeline in the Star Trek universe. And as the Between Tween pointed out in the first scene, Star Trek is Mousey:

• Parental Units: As the movie opened the Between Tween yelled out, “Hey, it’s Thor!” I laughed and said not that can’t be. That guy is too well shaven and has short hair. Then I turned my head askew and said, “Hey, it’s Thor!” Chris Hemsworth does in fact play George Kirk, the first officer of the U.S.S. Kelvin, the father of Captain James T. Kirk, and hero. As the scene progressed George Kirk’s wife Winona was also introduced. And I yelled out, “Hey, it’s Emma!” Yes, Mrs. Kirk was played by Jennifer Morrison from Once Upon a Time. Kirk definitely has some Mousey parents.

• Prince Charming: Speaking of the Kirk family. Chris Pine who plays James T. Kirk got his film debut in a Disney movie. He played villain/love interest Nicholas Devereaux in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.  

 

• Spock’s Mom: So as long as Winona Ryder’s career has been, clearly she has been in many Disney movies. This must be true since she is in so many Tim Burton movies. So yeah, she must have cashed many checks from the Mouse. But shockingly, no! She did voice Elsa Van Helsing in Frankenweenie. But most of her other Burton films including Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands are not Disney films.   

• Guardian: Zoe Saldana plays Uhura, the language specialist on the Enterprise and Spock’s love interest (I know shocking). Saldana has been cast as Gamora, the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Honestly, I am holding out opinions on this future Marvel film until I find out who will voice Rocket Raccoon. Saldana played another tough women as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Anamaria is a pirate through and through as a member of Captain Jack Sparrow’s crew.

• Star Wars, Nothing But Star Wars: Since I was just looking to bash Star Trek originally, I did not notice that director J.J. Abrams crafted images that seem like homages to Disney’s newest franchise. These include the fact that Vulcan and Alderaan are both destroyed and have refugee communities.  Kirk meets old Spock and Mr. Scott on an ice world with ferocious creatures, Luke almost lost his life to a ferocious creature on Hoth.  And on that world when one ferocious creature is chasing Kirk it is stopped by a bigger one, or as Qui-Gon Jinn would remind us there is always a bigger fish.  And seriously is Mr. Scott’s engineering partner is an Ugnaught, they are both short , handy and not so pretty.  Yeah, those are just a few I noticed, but clearly Star Wars influenced this world!

Star Trek is a super mousey movie, even if I did not want to admit it. We did not even include Michael Giacchino who wrote the score; his Space Mountain theme is still my favorite. And I am willing to say it should not carry the horrible title I gave it years ago. But this time I turned off my mind, went with the flow, enjoyed the adventure, laughed with the Between Kids and most of all…..looked forward to Episode VII.

Between Books - Infinity Gauntlet

Do we really have to wait until 2015 for The Avengers 2? Yes I know we have Iron Man 3, Thor 2: The Dark World, and Captain America 2: Winter Soldier to pass the years. But I really do not want to wait until 2015 to resolve Thanos and his plans for earth. I want to know what is going on now. So, I created my own shortcut and I read Infinity Gauntlet, collecting the Marvel mini-series from 1991. Though this series is not the introduction of the villain Thanos, it does tie into another potential plot element, the Infinity Gauntlet. The stone in Loki’s spear in The Avengers is the Soul Gem, which allows the user to control others. And in Thor the Infinity Gauntlet is seen in Odin’s vault. I have a hard time believing that they would not have left us a trail to this story without looking to adapt it in the future within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In 1991's Infinity Gauntlet, written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by George Perez and Ron Lim, Thanos acquires the Infinity Gauntlet formed of the entire set of Infinity Gems in order to fulfill his beloved’s desires. The full gauntlet makes Thanos more powerful than a Marvel universe God. He hopes to impress Death by killing half of the universe, in the blink of an eye! Earth’s heroes unite under the leadership of hero Adam Warlock, who is very familiar with the Soul Gem (he lived in it), to battle Thanos and attempt to save the universe from chaos and death. The following are speculative thoughts from the story that could have impact on a future Avengers 2, if it was actually adapted for the next movie:

• The Stones: We have already been introduced to the Soul Gem, but there are actually six infinity gems. The full set is The Soul, The Mind, Power, Time, Reality and Space. When combined together in the Infinity Gauntlet, they give the holder unlimited Godlike power. Basically, the Gauntlet makes Thanos the badest baddy that the Avengers would fight yet.

• Star Wars, Nothing But Star Wars: This is a cosmic tale. Seriously, it’s out of this world. Yes, there is a fair amount of action that occurs on little old earth. But the final battle occurs in space. So take Tony Stark flying into space at the end of The Avengers and add Thor and other heroes zooming through space with him. And then add in that part of the confrontation with Thanos includes a delegation of cosmic entities like Entirety, Love and Hate, the Watcher, Galactus, Kronos, and others. If they follow this cosmic setting, the budget for the film would have to be huge. Cleveland was able to sit in for New York in The Avengers, but it would require a lot of special effects to frame this story on the big screen in the same way as the comic. Or some things like the cosmic entities may not be able to be seen on screen. I do see the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving this direction with concept art from Iron Man 3, spoiler, showing Tony within a deep space version of the armor.

• Where’s Waldo: The good news about the Infinity Gauntlet storyline is that Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk all have fairly big roles with Black Widow also in action. Now this Thor is not the Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor with a storyline that if he is separated from his hammer for a set timeframe he transforms into a regular human who is not Donald Blake. This plot point is small enough I am guessing that Joss Whedon would simply ignore it. But Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye is problematic. For almost the entire story Hawkeye is gone, and somewhere where he should never return from. I am fairly certain regardless of the number of heroes they add that the Disney executives would like to keep Renner with a significant role in a future Avengers film. I think it’s the law that Renner has to have a role in every action franchise, or at least it feels that way!

• Missing in Action: This is a big big Marvel story. It is literally cosmic and the role of heroes featured is massive. However, there are a ton of heroes who cannot be part of the story due to obligations to other studios. These missing heroes included Spider-Man, Wolverine, Professor X, and the Fantastic Four. And some characters I wonder if they have viable as they served as supporting characters on the non-Disney films. These include the Silver Surfer and Doctor Doom who have a pretty big role in this epic. I am guessing that currently these two are wrapped up with other studios and will be written out unless Disney pays a fee to access their characters.

• Introducing: There are several characters that could be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a very “magical” story, where it is made equal to science. Therefore Doctor Strange plays a large role in the original story, so Avengers 2 if following this story at all could be an introduction to this character. I think this is likely since Kevin Fiege has announced that Doctor Strange will be part of Wave Three after Avengers 2. Another character who could have a role is Ant Man, who’s film is also considered part of Wave Three. Though I have to admit this original Avenger is not really one of my favorite characters.

• Leader of the Pack: What to do with Adam Warlock. He serves as the strategic leader in the conformation against Thanos. But to be honest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe he could only ever be a supporting character. And would they allow someone other than Nick Fury serve as the core leader? I do not think so. I expect that Fury might take over some of Warlock’s role if this storyline was made into Avengers 2.

• Stan’s Soapbox: No entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be complete without the Stan Lee cameo. And this story is ready for Stan’s arrival. One frame shows that the Hulk is visiting “Smilin’ Stan’s Bar & Grill. On this alone, I would green light this story for the core of Avengers 2.

Again, this is all nothing more than speculation and none of these guesses could come to fruition. But with two years to go, Infinity Gauntlet is an enjoyable book to visit and start building assumptions on a future movie. Let's be honest, this story could not become a feature film without major rewrites.  Even if none of these guesses come true, the story itself is an enjoyable superhero adventure sure to entertain fans of the Avenger Initiative.

Goofy Gadgets - Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty

Captain America is back on the World War II battlefield in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty for iOS devices like iPad and iPhones.  HYDRA led by Red Skull has kidnapped three of the Howling Commandos including Bucky.  Outnumbered only Captain America can rescue them from the battlefield, factory and plane were they are being kept behind enemy lines.  To free his men, Cap will have to fight HYDRA soldiers, put on an acrobatic display and use his shield to defend himself.

This is the second Avengers themed app I have tried out.  In many ways Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is like that first game Thor: Son of Asgard in that fact you play the hero and walk through levels defeating opponents as you get closer to your goal.  And like Thor, Cap has a throwing weapon that can be launched from a distance.  However, the fighting sequences seemed a little clearer in Cap’s game and not as jumbled to me.  Like the Thor game, the user is taught how to use moves as you walk through the game so you can learn as you go.  Players can also find extras, unlockable historic comic cover images, by picking up HYDRA files.  

The navigation is different however.  In Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, players use their finger to draw where Captain America should walk or hit!  So to go right, draw your finger right on the screen.  Likewise you do the same to go left.  However, it took me a few levels before I realized all I had to do to stop Cap’s running was double tap on the screen.  Additionally, this drawing control is quirky to me.  To hit you also draw toward your opponent.  But sometimes, oftentimes, when I draw to hit I start Cap running.  And if Cap is running he is probably not hitting!  

Captain America in Action

I don’t typically pay for apps and I got this one for free.  For that price it is an enjoyable game that I will play for a few weeks and then totally forget about.  This is also my pattern with games I typically pay for.  That’s not all bad as it has helped me move away from Temple Run: Brave.  I do not believe I would pay the original $4.99 price tag on it however, though the regular price of $2.99 seems solid.  I do like this game better than Thor: Son of Asgard.  But I also like Captain America better than Thor in most movies and comics.  For anyone who has dreamt of being Captain America, this game is for you and will give you several hours of fun.     

Goofy Gadgets - Thor: Son of Asgard

I love The Avengers!

This summer I saw the movie three times, including twice in the first 24 hours. 

There have been a number of iTunes applications that have been released to promote and support the movie.  But to date I have not downloaded any of them because I generally do not pay for Apps (I am the only one in the Between Family with this philosophy).

Recently Marvel made one of those Avengers applications free for download for a limited time.  The application is designed for iPad and iPod devices.  Thor: Son of Asgard is typically, and will likely be again soon, sold for $2.99.  But with a window of time in which it is free I grabbed it.

In Thor: Son of Asgard, Thor’s brother and the main villain from Thor and The Avengers is again up to no good!  He has attacked and invaded Thor’s home of Asgard and Thor must overthrow his brother and his allies to reclaim his home.

The game play is a fighting adventure where Thor uses his hammer to defeat Ice Giants, Elves and more.  Thor walks (or runs) through levels fighting opponents.  The game provides hints on how to defeat new opponents and how to launch new moves.  But mostly it’s a lot of Thor Smash, to steal another hero’s line.

Screenshot from Thor: Son of Asgard

I usually don’t play games like this.  I found that I could get through the first three levels in around six to seven minutes a piece.  I did get defeated in the fourth level the first time I played it, mostly because I was distracted.

Visually the game has the right look and feel, it feels like a comic book game.  Each segment generally is introduced by a short video.  The scenes show wide-open landscapes, but the game will stop Thor from walking in some areas to keep you from wandering away from the game play.

Overall, I probably would not have downloaded this without it being free at the time I purchased it.  I am anticipating that I will more game play out of it that I did Fix-It Felix Jr. primarily because the scene does change.  But I personally do not tend to play games for the long-term so I anticipate that I will play it off and on for a few weeks but eventually replace it with something else, hopefully another free Avengers app!  And honestly it is The Avengers link that grabbed me as I await its home video release.   

Mousey Movie Review - The Avengers

I have been waiting years for the fulfillment of a promise.  In Iron Man Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury told us he was looking to get the Avengers together.  Now Marvel and Disney have paid off on this promise, and most fans will not be disappointed.  If you like action films, if you enjoy things going boom, and if you love superheroes, The Avengers is probably going to be a hit for you.  Here are my initial thoughts about the film after a very early morning viewing (as spoiler free as possible):

·         Laugh-o-Gram:  I underestimated how funny this movie was going to be.  Quick quips, puns, and fun dialogue are traditional comic book tools.  And we have seen some humor in the past films.  But in The Avengers the fun lines are ramped.  I really should have expected this because Joss Whedon wrote the story and screenplay.  Overall my experience with his work is limited.  But the one franchise of his that I love is Firefly which shares this type of witty dialogue.  I quote Firefly lines all the time!   I cannot really tell you all of the lines that clicked with the audience because I missed some payoffs because everyone was drowning out the audio laughing.  I do think Whedon gave the best lines to Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man who continues to shine in this role.   

·         Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.:  We have been introduced over the years to agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. including Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Black Widow and Clint Barton/Hawkeye.  These agents have also been support but never the stars.  In a film with heavy hitters like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk the characters that get the most development are these agents along with the newest member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill.  With the big guys we have seen them developed in their own films, so it honestly fells like these are the characters who should be built out further.  Honestly, these are the characters you will probably look forward to the most in the future.    

·         Reality Check:  So villain wise this is probably the most ambitious of the non-human villains to date, therefore a ton more of CGI.  Yet I still felt like these alien invaders fit within our world and were believable.  I think an element that works to help establish reality are heroes with basic earthly weapons.  Having Black Widow and Hawkeye with guns and bows sprinkled throughout scenes with CGI villains and heroes helps to ground the image in our world.   

·         Fearless:  The Avengers breaks the expected conventions.  So be prepared for a ride.  In The Incredibles we get an education on some of these clichés, like monologuing for example.  In The Avengers the story breaks these clichés.  Characters do the things that you would want to do in the real world.  If this was a horror movie, somebody on the screen would say “hey don’t be foolish and walk into the woods unless you want to die first.”  And the story takes risks.  I had done a really good job avoiding spoilers and I am glad I did because within the first 15 minutes something I had not expected had happened and changed what I thought of the story rolling out in front of me.          

As a side note, The Avengers is not really a Mousey Movie except for links to the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  But I will not be pointing fingers.  There is a lot happening in this film and I would not ask for them to force in hidden Mickeys just to impress a Disney fan!  No, I will take The Avengers as it is a popular and growing Disney franchise that we will love for years to come.  I am sure many of you will be assembling with your fellow avengers at a theater near you, maybe even for a second or third time. 

Mousey Movies - Thor

I have a love/hate relationship with Thor.  At first a friend phrased it as “The Best Weekend In New Mexico Ever!”  And after watching it for a third time I have decided it is completely unbelievable!  Don’t get me wrong, I will more than happily accept the story of a Norse god visiting New Mexico, finding himself, discovering love and thwarting his brother’s plans to rule over their home of Asgard.  Now, what I find unbelievable is that in this New Mexico small town that an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent can find a Whopper!  I grew up in small towns and let me tell you the local diner exists but you won’t find a major fast food franchise in a town this small.  Clearly Thor’s adventures happened in Product Placement, New Mexico.  Those living in Product Placement wash down a Whopper with a Dr. Pepper while reading USA Today followed by a Budweiser chaser.   As often as we hear that New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment, Marvel had to have taken some funds from the state budget!  Maybe John Carter could have performed better financially if Dr. Pepper was available on Mars! 

With that aside Thor has really grown on me.  The Son of Coal, Agent Coulson, is heavily featured and in many ways steals this movie.  Though the biggest scene stealer is clearly Jeremy Renner as he introduces his Avenger Hawkeye to the Avengers Initiative.  Thor is a action romp through New Mexico and the beautiful Asgard that will satisfy one’s need for escapist fiction.  And, there is a touch of the mouse in there:    

·         Hammer in the Stone:  The basic premise is that the Norse god of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is bad tempered and makes poor choices.  After breaking a treaty with the Frost Giants, Thor’s father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) casts him out of Asgard and exiles him without powers on Earth.  Good parents discipline their kids!  Thor’s trusty weapon the hammer Mjolnir is also cast out awaiting the day that Thor is worthy.  Many attempt to pull the unmovable hammer from its resting place including Stan Lee!  One of them is Drunk Townie played by the very familiar Joel McCrary.  The goateed McCrary instantly struck me as a guy I knew.  And it’s because he is a very active actor.  Disney fans may not be aware McCrary voices Baloo in Kinect Disneyland Adventures.  But they may recognize him as Bobby Wasabi on Disney XD’s Kickin’ It.  McCrary is not the only familiar face from Disney television productions.  Isaac Kappy plays Pet Store Owner in Thor is also seen in the Disney Channel’s Lemonade Mouth as Mel the owner of an organic lemonade company.    

·         Dead Men Tell No Tales:  Stellan Skarsgård plays Dr. Erik Selvig the friend and mentor of Thor’s love interest Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).  Selvig has some doubts that the Norse god of thunder has really decided to spend a restful weekend in the Land of Enchantment.  It’s kind of strange for me to see a Skarsgård character doubting after playing Bootstrap Bill Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.  For heaven’s sake Bootstrap bill was part of the boat!  Skarsgård must have enjoyed this role which requires a lot less makeup because he is part of the cast for The Avengers and has been announced for Thor 2.       

·         Prince Charming:  Every good Disney movie needs a dashing prince.  Admittedly Thor is a prince, but we tend to think of fine gentlemen with swords not brutish men with hammers for our Disney princesses.  Josh Dallas plays the dashing, and well groomed, Fandral in Thor.  He is the master swordsman with that romantic look that could easily fit in a Disney animated classic.  Currently Dallas plays Prince Charming on the very Mousey Once Upon a Time on ABC, further showing Dallas’ princely virtues, or lack of on occasion.  

·         Beware the Maelstrom:  Thor opens in Tønsberg, Norway as the Gods battle the Frost Giants on Earth.  This of course takes me back to Epcot and the Norway pavilion!  I personally enjoy meeting not Thor but the princesses at Akerhus Royal Banquet Hall.  It’s not as pricey as eating in Cinderella’s Castle, though the view is not the same.  I recommend the open-faced beef sandwich.  And the deserts are always a hit with the family.  It’s a feast that Thor’s friend and fellow warrior Volstagg would give his stamp of approval to.  And the Maelstrom is one of the few rides you will find in the World Showcase.       

·         The Walt Disney Parade: When using the high tech tools of the Product Placement, New Mexico library, Dr. Selvig picks up a book that reminds him of the childhood tales he heard and read about the Norse gods as a child.  The book appears to be Iain Lawrence’s The Giant-Slayer, a book that does not seem to have anything to say about Thor and his fellow Norse gods.   But you have to admit the title sounds cool.  In fact it’s a story about one child telling stories to another who is forced to use an iron lung!  Thor’s name does not even appear in the book, or Odin or Loki or the word Viking.  But why do I even bring this up?  Next to The Giant-Slayer on a book truck are three books in the “Walt Disney Parade” series.  They are Great Moments in Fiction with the Duchess from The Aristocats on the spine, Adventures in Fact with what appears to be a Buddha, and Fantasy on Parade decorated with a castle.  You cannot escape the Mouse!      

Though this movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh who has helmed many Shakespeare plays for the modern audience, don’t confuse Thor with a timeless classic.  It is fun and action filled.  You will enjoy your adventure to New Mexico.  And it’s a vital piece of The Avengers story, a building piece you cannot ignore if you want to understand the background of the villain Loki!  Enjoy…Enchanted New Mexico!