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Mix March Madness 2015 Webcomics Tournament Elite Eight!

  • News
  • April 29, 2015

It’s Round 5, starring the Elite Eight of ComicMix’s April Armageddon 2015 Webcomic Tournament. Driving forces in webcomics standing toe to toe, going head to head. Being pitted against each other, fans standing together voting for their favorite until there is just one winner. Who will it be?

Stand Still. Stay Silent, The Property of Hate, and Shotgun Shuffle having an excellent show from their fans this week, But every survivor has chance at the brass ring. All they need is your vote.

Speaking of votes…give yourself a round of applause for the strong support for The Hero Initiative, with donations totaling $81.00 in round 4.

The Elite Eight will narrow the field yet again, So vote soon and vote often… and tell your friends. Polls close 12 midnight, April 30th EDT!

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Box Office Democracy: It Follows

Much like the slow moving menace that stalks its protagonists, It Follows had a slow, steady walk to being a cult horror hit. The kind of movie, if recent surprise successes in the genre are any indication, could lead to a rush of imitators looking to get a piece of quick horror cash. It Follows is refreshing in how different it is than the mainstream of the genre these days but it is also so arrestingly scary that it easily ranks among the least comfortable movie going experiences I’ve ever had. It’s also maddeningly opaque with how it dispenses exposition or even meaning to the events of the film.

Horror films in recent years have fallen in to a predictable pattern and I don’t just mean they’re overwhelmingly about demonic possession hitting young families. The way they choose to scare you always feels like the same jump scare. The music shifts to a faster tempo and the camera movements get slower and then something comes out of nowhere and is accompanied by a big string hit on the soundtrack. It’s effective but it’s boring and worse than that it’s obvious. I know nothing of consequence will happen in a movie like Annabelle until the last 10 minutes. It Follows has a different, more of a throwback, style of generating tension. They still kick the score in to high gear, they might even do it more but the tension comes from static shots, from first person perspectives of some flowers or the morning sky. Most of the time nothing happens and it doesn’t matter; I’m still zipping up my hoodie and looking at the ground. It gives all of the effect with none of the cheapness that comes with a cheap thrill for a child’s toy falling out of a closet. It feels more earned even if it might not actually be.

I hate when movies hold my hand too much, when they keep telling me things that would be so easy to show me. It Follows certainly doesn’t tell when it could show but also doesn’t tell when it refuses to show. There’s a very brief explanation of the rules for the monster in this film and then we never get any more information. We never get any why or any how. We’re just given a menace that slowly walks toward its victim and then kills them in a nondescript way that leaves a terribly mangled corpse. Then at the climax that stops and we get a suddenly much more clever whatever it is capable of evading the trap that our heroes have set with no indication that the trap would be successful. When the film ends, as all horror movies do, by teasing us with the possibility that the danger is still out there it isn’t the least bit surprising because I had no sense that this thing could be defeated as easily as they dispatch it in the previous scene. I was plenty scared in the moment but it’s the kind of movie that unravels as you pull at the threads in the hours and days that follow.

I want more horror movies to be like It Follows but I know that even by wishing that I am destroying the chances it will ever happen. Horror is so reactive I’m sure there have been dozens of conversations in Hollywood over the past month or so about how to capture this lightning in a bottle and get three movies just like it out by this time next year. None of them will get it right though, they’ll take the wrong things. Maybe one studio will think the secret is teenagers, or the speed of the ghost, or the techno-throwback music. The way studios saw Paranormal Activity and thought everyone wanted a bunch of found footage movies. What I want more of is the earnestness and the experimentation and even the flailing attempts at finding an underlying philosophy that give It Follows its charms. Oh well, see you all back here next year for a harsh review of Stuff Will Eventually Get You.

Emily S. Whitten: Geek Chic Spring Shopping

captain-america-3487888Three years ago right around this time, I was lamenting the fact that there was a sad, sad lack of comics and genre fashion merchandise geared towards women. At the time, my experience was that the available clothing for women to purchase and wear was mostly t-shirts, only some of which were actually fitted for or geared towards women. And accessories of the sort women might be interested in, like jewelry or handbags or less manly wallets, were mostly available only via Etsy or through other fan enterprises.

Generally speaking, what was available via licensed merchandisers was also lacking in the style, flair, subtlety, or imagination that I’d have really liked to see in female comics fashion. Despite being a fan of the comfort of a cute tee shirt, there are times when I’d prefer to be able to let fly the flag of my geek pride with a little more style – like when I’m running from one end of San Diego Comic Con to the other and can’t manage a full costume, but would love to wear a cute dress instead of throwing on the same old tee and jeans combo. Or when I’m heading in to work and want to jazz things up a bit with a subtly geeky accessory.

Fortunately for me and all the other geek women out there who might feel the same way, things have changed since 2012. Companies like Ashley Eckstein’s Her Universe began appearing and paving the way by coming out with clothing more flattering and fitting for women and establishing a high profile at conventions. Companies like We Love Fine and Superhero Stuff really caught on to the fact that “if you make it, they will buy” when it comes to women and cute geek clothes. 2014 in particular saw an uptick in more exciting geek fashions becoming available for women, starting in February with geek-inspired runway fashions (and companies like Cozday Clothing), and going into the fall with several companies such as Black Milk Clothing and Living Dead Clothing coming out with themed lines.

As spring rolled around this year and I started looking for a few new items for my geek and con wardrobe, I felt anew that the female geek fashion wasteland of 2012 has happily been replaced by a growing garden of options for the discerning geek gal. From shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, and tights to jewelry, bags, and scarves, to pieces that could be incorporated into actual costumes for cons, there are a lot of cool options out there right now.

Given that these options are still sort of scattered around, I thought I’d provide you with some favorites I’ve found – some of which I actually own, and some of which are on my wish list.

So check these out, and flaunt your geek fashion for the world!

Hot Topic, which back in the day (yea, these many years ago when I was a teen) used to be mostly kind of goth and punk, has in recent years been adding and adding to its pop culture collections. It now has entire lines of merchandise themed around superheroes, genre TV shows like Supernatural, and more. A couple of recent favorites that I own are the Batman Harley Quinn Dress, the Harley Quinn Infinity Scarf (which I am totally wearing at work today), and the Harley Quinn perfume (are we sensing a theme, here?). And as of this morning, they’ve also got a new Marvel Her Universe line available for pre-order. (You can also shop directly for some of the Her Universe clothing on their website.) They’ve got a ton of fun accessories, too, like this Alice in Wonderland purse, this TARDIS hinge wallet, this Supernatural watch, and this Orphan Black code ring. And of course, Sherlock and Watson cord bracelets for all you shippers out there.

Although some of it appears sold out at the moment (noooo!!!!!), We Love Fine has been carrying some cool-looking geek chic lately. A couple of things I had my eye on were the Companion Cube Fit and Flare Dress, the Kawaii Avengers Sleeveless Top, and the Ms. Marvel Tank. The Balloonicorn Pattern Top is also just plain adorable, and I kind of crave it despite the fact that I haven’t played Team Fortress and usually don’t wear things I’m not an actual fan of on principle (but I did see clips of the in-game Balloonicorn in action online and it amused me greatly, so there’s that).

The aforementioned Black Milk Clothing has some pretty cool stuff, from the looks of it. I covet their dress collection, including the Riddler Skater Dress, the Game of Thrones Win or Die Dress, the Marauders’ Map Dress, and the Harley Quinn Skater Dress. The GOT Rhaegal Dragon Egg Skirt is also pretty sweet.

Speaking of Australian companies, Living Dead Clothing has a super-cute Captain America swimsuit and Cap shield dress, and an Iron Man Skater that could actually be worn as a costume piece. It’s also all over our favorite webslinger’s fashion choices with a Chibi Spider-Man Skater Skirt, a Radioactive Crop Top, and this Secret Identity Skater Skirt that is subtle enough in its geekiness to wear just about anywhere. They’ve also got a mishmash of stuff in their Crypt section, including a Guardians of the Galaxy dress and a Dancing Groot dress (what whaaat!).

Thinkgeek is a regular stop on my online geek shopping route. I’ve got their Tolkien Silk Wrap Bracelet, leetle tiny Batman earrings, and Health Bar Yoga  along with their cute Firefly Kaylee-Inspired Messenger Bag and Portal Companion Cube Messenger Bag. And I wouldn’t say no to their GOT All Men Must Die Ladies’ Long Sleeve Tee, their Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix necklace, or their TMNT Ladies’ Raglan. Plus, they have a rewards system that’s actually worth signing up for. Hooray, free stuff!

Even with all the fun alternatives, sometimes nothing beats a good ladies’ tee. I like to go to places like Quantum Mechanix for those. I’ve got the women’s versions of their Firefly Fighting Elves tee, their Firefly Blue Sun tee, and their Warehouse 13 Farnsworth tee; and I am now coveting their Firefly Independents tee. Quantum Mechanix also has fun stuff like this Firefly Leaf on the Wind keychain/pendant and Jayne Cobb leather wrist strap .

TeeTurtle is another great place for cute, comfy, well-fitting geek tees for ladies (they’re my favorite for a consistently comfortable and well-fitting tee). They have infinite adorable choices (and a lot of fun fandom mashups), but I particularly love my Rebels of the Galaxy, Honest Mistake, Floating Through Space, Codominance Panda, Totodoll, Adorable Monstrosity, and Fire Mage tees.

SuperHeroStuff also has a ton of tees, but I’ve currently got my eye on their Rogue costume dress, and also think their PJs are super cute.

And…whew, I think I’m about shopped out. Now it’s your turn!

And until next time, Servo Lectio!

 

Ed Catto: Leading…by Getting Out of the Way

Back in business school I learned that there are many different styles of leadership. A good leader has several different styles at his or her fingertips and employs them based on the particular situations at hand. But this week I’d like to focus on two people who lead in a manner that’s generally not easily recognized. They lead, and in doing so contribute to their community and help build character by getting out of the way.

lcvexakvtdnzsrzmjnaokfd8pq1y2clwbwliasjxree-7047873Brave New World Comics is a California based store run by two engaging and effervescent women named Portlyn Polston and Autumn Glading. Like most comic shop owners, they are energetic entrepreneurs who work hard to keep their customers happy, attract new shoppers and have a little fun along the way. One thing that sets them apart is their commitment to fanning the flames of geek-focusd interest in women and girls. But as you’ll see, it’s much more than that.

At their comic store, they don’t have a “Girl’s Section.” When I asked, they laughed at me and explained how absurd it would be to create some sort of cordoned off area, painted pink, with girly things for sale. In fact, they couldn’t even come up with specific product that would be ‘more appropriate for girls.’ Instead, their strategy is to create a clean, well-lit, open space were everyone feels comfortable. Then they just let consumers find what they want. Oh sure, they offer suggestions and guidance, but that’s based on the individual. In fact, they joke that their favorite thing to sell is the last thing they sold. “We don’t have an agenda,” says Portlyn. “Girls can read anything.”

joc4xyebo8tnv9wqwecmgjzudvwxp42fbqil21afkpe-1355640In addition to running the store, they plan some very creative activities. Geek Girls Night is a quarterly get-together designed to encourage women of all ages to fly their Geek Flag. And there aren’t a lot of rules or guidelines about what constitutes a geek passion. It can be comics or Doctor Who or steampunk or Alice-in-Wonderland. The explained that one girl attended who only liked Michael Jackson. But she was deep into it. The group chewed on that for a bit, nodded, and then agreed, “That’s fine.”

These events often include a trivia contest and a panel. And at the panels, given the spirit of the events, the questions are entirely freewheeling. Several groups attend, including, but not limited to, cosplay groups, writing groups and girls doing-live-action video games. I’m still not sure what that means. Furthermore, Autumn and Portlyn devilishly boast they are “really good” at getting vendors and publishers to contribute “good stuff.”

geek-girl-society-logo-png-4254893Their Geek Girls Society is kind of like the Girl Scouts for only the coolest and nerdiest girls. It’s an after school program designed for girls 8 to 16, and is meant to be a place where can girls can enjoy their own geeky pursuits and be exposed to the geeky passions of others. Respect is the watchword here. The organization’s mantra stresses that whatever you like is great, and whatever anybody else likes is great too.

The ‘mean girl’ phenomenon isn’t limited to girls in middle school. It often starts earlier and lasts way too long into adulthood. And one could argue that it’s not only about girls, either. At the Geek Girls Society, their foundational thinking is one of respect and non-judgmentalism. Is that a real word? If not, it should be soon, as it’s imbedded into the DNA of this outstanding group. Autumn explained, “We teach them that you don’t have to hate. Every event is about respecting.”

autumn-and-portlyn-3168323Portlyn and Autumn talked about their personal passions, and how when they were younger, they were unaware that other young girls liked the geeky things they did. There was no internet when back then, so they struggled to like what they liked, and keep liking it. They wanted to combat the unfortunate natural way of things, as young girls grow up and then eschew the things they like for fear that their peers or society will label them or look down upon them. That’s where the Geek Girl Society comes in – a place where girls can enjoy their passions, and keep on enjoying them.

New York Times columnist Nickolas Kristof often talks about how the best way to end poverty, especially in regions of extreme economic distress, is to give a girl a book and teach a girl to read. In the local environs of Brave New World Comics, it’s not that dire, but they are applying many of the same principles to helping girls build positive self-esteem and contributing their community.

brave-new-world-storefront-8453111How far comic shops have come. Back in the 70’s, so many of those early comic shops seemed to be just one-step above the local head shop in the retail pecking order, resolutely shaking a metaphorical fist at their local communities screaming, “Leave us alone! This is our thing and we don’t want anything to do with the establishment!” Now we have stores like this one, where two women make a living selling stuff, and satisfy a sense of purpose by not only contributing to the local community, but leading. They’re helping others fly by giving them a little bit of runway. More proof of the incredible influence of Geek Culture and the local comic shop.

For more on Brave New World and the Geek Girls Society, please visit their site.

 

The Point Radio: Burn Gorman Is THAT Guy

Here’s a voice to go with a face we’re sure you are familiar with. You’ve seen actor Burn Gorman in DARK KNIGHT RISES, GAME OF THRONES and now in AMC’s TURN:WASHINGTON’S SPIES. He talks about his varied acting jobs and even how much fun it was on the set of TORCHWOOD plus what his dream acting job would be.

Christian Kane (THE LIBRARIANS, ANGEL) joins us in a few days to talk about his new movie and why we thunk he should be the next Wolverine.  Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Box Office Democracy TV Special: Daredevil

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an unqualified success, I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the Marvel Televisual Universe is much more of a mixed bag. While I hear Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gotten much better since a rocky start but I’ll never know because I decided I would never care about any of those characters over a year ago. Agent Carter had me completely captivated for two episodes until it started to feel like Mad Men meets an exceptionally long episode of Scooby-Doo. Daredevil has none of this blandness; it doesn’t feel like anything else in the Marvel stable or anything on TV at all, really. It’s a dark, violent, abrupt show that begs you to binge watch it and then gives you bad dreams as a punishment.

Daredevil feels more like an extended Christopher Nolan Batman film than it does anything else in the Marvel canon. This world of organized crime, corrupt police and brutal fight scenes feels much more like Nolan’s Gotham City than any of the slick worlds we’ve seen in the rest of the Marvel universe. There’s a signature scene at the end of episode two where a long take down of a criminal gang is done in one take and it’s a wonder to behold. It lays down what the aesthetic of the entire show will be in that sequence and it seems to serve to hook the audience or inform them that maybe this show won’t be for them. It’s different than anything I’ve ever seen on a super hero TV show or, honestly, maybe anywhere. It feels like HBO-level action but with considerably less swearing and no nudity. (more…)

Mindy Newell: Look! Up In The Sky!

I am so very tired of it.

Last week fellow ComicMix columnist Molly Jackson wrote about the sexual harassment of cosplayer Mindy Marzac at the most recent Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. Separately, Frank Cho drew a riff of the “infamous” Milo Manara cover and all hell broke loose.

Separately, country music icon Tim McGraw decided to do a benefit concert for the Sandy Hook Promise charity and suddenly he became persona non grata to the gun lobby while others call for his records to be banned.

Separately, political hack Peter Schweizer was a consultant for Sarah Palin when she was John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 Presidential election, and we’re supposed to take seriously his allegations that Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, okayed the sale of Uranium One, a Canadian company with uranium mining claims in the U.S., to Rosatom, a Russian atomic energy agency.

Aside: On April 24, NBC News released a statement, after doing its own research into what, I admit, could be a very serious matter, saying that these allegations “don’t hold up so well.” Here is their report:

  • Ian Telfer, who was Uranium One’s chairman at the time it was being taken over by Rosatom, did donate money to the Clinton Foundation. However, he told the Financial Post  that he committed those funds to the Foundation in 2008, “before Uranium One had any negotiations with the Russians, and the donations he has made since then were part of that initial pledge.” Hillary Clinton also did not become secretary of state until 2009.
  • Frank Giustra, a Canadian businessman who the New York Times noted also donated to the Clinton Foundation and who owned the predecessor to Uranium One before its sale to the Russians, sold his personal stake in the company in 2007. The proposed sale of Uranium One occurred in 2010. Giustra himself released a statement criticizing the Times’ reporting, calling it “wildly speculative, innuendo-laced,” and inaccurate, and noting that contrary to the Times’ claim that Bill Clinton had flown with him to conclude a stage in the Uranium deal, “Bill Clinton had nothing to do with” that purchase.
  • The State Department only had one vote on the nine-member Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that approved the deal. Other agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Energy, Commerce, and Justice, also weighed in.
  • The chairman of the CFIUS is the TreasurySecretary, not Secretary of State.
  • Rosatom hadto get approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is an independent agency outside of the secretary of state’s influence.
  • Utah’s local nuclear regulator also had to sign off on the deal, as it involved mills in the state.
  • Former Assistant Secretary of State Jose Fernandez, who was the State Department’s principal representative on CFIUS, said, “Secretary Clinton never intervened with me on any CFIUS matter.”

Yeah, I’m tired of it. “It” meaning all the bullshit that’s out there.

  •    •    •     •     •

Last week I wrote about the second season of Outlander, mentioning how the truly erotic and openly sexual scenes between heroine Claire Randal and her 18th century lover/husband are breaking down the barriers of what is shown on television shows these days.

Well, score another smashing down of said barrier. Last night’s episode, in which the dastardly Captain Jonathan “Black Jack” attempted to rape Jamie Fraser’s sister, not only gave us the full Monty of Jonathan’s jack, but also gave us the delightful (not!) view of the Captain fruitlessly masturbating as he endeavored to get himself hard enough to penetrate the woman. And what did Jamie’s sister do while this was going on? Laughed at him! (You go, Jamie’s sister!) Kudos to the historical accuracy once again. “Black Jack” is not circumcised, a procedure which in the 18th century was only carried out only by Jews and Muslims as part of a religious ritual. No word, however, on whether or not there was digital manipulation of the actor’s penis. Is he or isn’t he? Only his intimates know for sure.

  •    •    •     •     •

DC Comics, a subsidiary of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros Inc., officially closed its New York City doors at 1700 Broadway, across the street from The Ed Sullivan Theater, on Friday, April 10, moving out to Burbank, California and Warner Bros. corporate home and studios.

How does that affect me?

Practically speaking, not at all. I haven’t been to DC’s NY offices since November 2001, and I don’t expect to be visiting their shiny new environs any time soon.

My professional days at DC weren’t at 1700 Broadway anyway. They took place at 666 Fifth Avenue, a landmark Manhattan skyscraper built in 1957, which is also known as the Tishman Building, and was home to the Top of the Sixes restaurant – it’s since closed. Dick Giordano once took me to lunch there. I had an enormous shrimp cocktail and an absolutely mouth-watering Scottish barley soup. Also two glasses of a very fine Merlot. It was a very good meeting.

My emotional reaction is a bit more difficult to define. End of an era, rose-colored nostalgia, of course. Some “what could have been” meanderings. A little anger at what part of me sees as a general dissing of New York City’s grand history as the publishing mecca of the world, and a more personal dissing of DC itself as a New York City historical landmark of pop culture by Warner Bros., which now so overtly sees DC and its comics only as product.

I wonder what they will do in a few years when the superhero movies craze goes away, as all crazes do. Will they continue to support DC, or will they sell it off as “non-profitable?” I personally opt for the later, which will leave only Marvel Studios – if they survive – as the premier comic book movie producer. And if Warners sells DC to Disney/Marvel, will a Supreme Court fight over “entertainment monopolies” ensue?

green-lantern-oath-5128941But, as Mike Gold so fittingly described it, I do have a lot for which to be thankful regarding DC; first and foremost the many friends and good people I met, and the feeling they gave me that, yes, you weird woman, you, you weren’t that weird after all – there were others out there just like you who loved comics and science fiction and could recite Green Lantern’s oath, and dug Doctor Who and grokked Spock. And I would have never traveled around the States and across the Atlantic to participate in conventions, and I would have never spent a day in Marvel’s Bullpen.

And I sure as hell wouldn’t be here now, trying to inform and entertain you with my love of comics and pop culture, with my opinions, with my attitudes, with my political stances …

… and just generally trying to raise your hackles.

 

Mix March Madness 2015 Webcomics Tournament Sweet 16!

  • News
  • April 27, 2015

Round 4: Sweet Sixteen? Never!!! April Armageddon is a webcomic battle royale. We are down to the best of the best battling to see who will be the winner and bring home the bragging rights for 2015.

We had a couple of upsets in this round: XKCD losing to Misfile, Twokinds pulled ahead of Girls With Slingshots, and in a battle that went down to the wire, Two Guys and Guy beat Paranatural by two votes. Of course, the big winner in this round is the Hero Initiative with $127.00 in paid votes.

Narrowing the field in this head to head webcomic combat… be sure to vote for your favorite, now. The polls close April 28th at Midnight EDT!

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John Ostrander on the Mighty Marvel Movie Monster

In a few days the new Avengers film, Age of Ultron, will be opening here in the States. It’s already opened in some overseas markets and, by all accounts, is doing very well. Seems like a good time to look back at the output in general of Marvel Studios.

Not all of Marvel’s characters’ appearances onscreen have come from Marvel Studios; stalwarts like the Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and Spider-Man have been made elsewhere (although Spidey’s next appearance will be coordinated with Marvel Studios and, in fact, will probably be in the next Captain America film). Those appearances have been, shall we say, a bit spotty in quality. The two FF films were anything but fantastic.

However, by and large, the output of Marvel Studios has been first-rate. There have been a few hiccups, such as the second Iron Man film and the second Thor film as well, but I’ve been dazzled by the rest. The studio has gone from strength to strength lately. They did it by staying true to the concepts and feel of the Marvel Universe.

When Marvel first emerged back in the Sixties, several things marked the upstart newcomer as different from its “Distinguished Competition” (as it referred to DC in those days). All its characters inhabited the same universe; events in one comic could influence events in another. The characters might pop up in each other’s comics at any time, even if just for a panel or two. The characters were not “squeaky clean” – they had hang-ups and foibles. The heroes and heroines often didn’t like one another and sometimes worked at cross-purposes; a hero was as likely to slug another hero as a bad guy.

While all this has become almost a cliché these days (i.e. the perennial existential question of “Who is stronger – the Hulk or the Thing?)” all this was very new and different when the whole magilla started. While the movies may have changed bits and pieces, they’ve stayed true to the overall concepts.

A good example of all this was the first Avengers movie. It brought together not only the main characters of the previous films, it also included many of the supporting characters. And they did not all like one another. Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Tony Stark (Iron Man) could barely stand each other. Thor and Iron Man come to blows early on and the Hulk and Thor had more than one dust-up in the course of the film. They all came together eventually to defeat Loki and his army and to trash much of New York. This is all very much the Marvel Universe as it was created. The film is true to its roots.

It was good enough to make me decide to see Guardians of the Galaxy which I wasn’t certain I was going to do. I think it’s now my favorite Marvel film and it too is cut from the same cloth; questionable beings who may be ethically challenged come together and, for most of the film, can barely stand one another. There is sacrifice and, by the end of the film, the team has come together to defeat the Big Bad. Classic Marvel.

There’s a common thread running through all these films and it’s not Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. It’s Kevin Feige, who has produced, co-produced or executive produced all of the Marvel films, including the ones I haven’t been so crazy about. He’s having a hell of a run right now and I’m thinking of him as the Stan Lee of the Marvel cinematic universe. (Stan Lee is also a part of the Marvel cinematic universe, but that’s not what I’m talking about.) I don’t know the guy but I get the sense that he really knows the Marvel comics universe and knows why it works. They’ve got me looking forward to Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: Civil War, and Black Widow, and Doctor Strange, and even Ant-Man.

Ant-Man. I can’t believe I’m writing that.

Enjoy it while it lasts, kiddies. Nothing lasts forever. At some point, Feige will get a better offer or move up at Disney (Marvel’s parent company) and someone else will take his place. The writers and directors and even the actors now playing the characters will move on or just get too old. Marvel Studios will put out a clunker. Things will change. Things always change.

But for right now, I’m strapping in and enjoying myself.

Excelsior, True Believers.

 

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