Author: Matthew Peterson

Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.

The secrets of post-Secret Wars Marvel Comics are slowly unfolding, including the location of a major-league villain.  How will Iron Man deal with the return of one of the worst of the worst?  Your Major Spoilers review of Invincible Iron Man #2 awaits!

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Of all the things that All-New All-Different Marvel and DCYou are doing to excite readers, the variations in the lineups of their team books are at the very top for me.  Instead of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America and Iron Man being on every single Avengers team at once, we’re seeing a variety of new Avengers stepping up.  Even the Justice League, a group that has been locked in an endless series of ‘Big Seven’ iterations since Grant Morrison crystallized the concept back in the 1990s has taken flyers on the likes of Power Ring and Captain Cold.  Sadly, the members…

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When we are young, people always ask us what we’re gonna be when we grow up, and I frankly miss that.  At 44, I still wonder what adulthood might be like, all the while thinking that I’d make a great lead singer, bass player or possibly arc-welder.  I don’t have the stamina to learn parkour these days, and being a cowboy would just be mean as hell to some poor horse, but in the right neighborhood I would make one heck of a ninja.  In short, you’re never so old that you can’t imagine what your future would be like…

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To clarify, the phrase “Heel Turn” has its roots in the secret language of Kayfabe, used by wrestlers to communicate while keeping the audience engrossed in the story being told.  It’s particularly useful for fans of comics, though, given that half the Avengers started out as villains, and Magneto has cycled from bad to good so often, he can’t even remember his real name.  In recent years, the big superhero publishers have been pitting their heroes against one another (Convergence, Secret Wars, Final Crisis, Civil War, Batman V Superman et al.) as often as any bad types, but the idea…

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The day is finally upon us, that halcyon time where ‘Back To The Future’ fans will appear from all sectors to discuss hoverboards, Leah Thompson’s crush on her fictional kid, and how realistic all those predictions of the future were.  Of all these discussions, the most fascinating is it the one that presumes that somehow the movie (or, more accurately, the sequel) actually predicted realistic events that would occur 30 years hence.  While it’s always fun to discuss the effects of pop culture on the changing times, I can’t consider Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis et al to be modern Nostradamuses,…

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In the history of comics, there have been hundreds of super-teams, ranging from 3 members to 30 or more, and while every group has their standout fan favorites, not everyone get the attention they deserve…  Welcome to Ten Things!

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DC

Some of my comic-reading friends have expressed dislike for the New 52 version of Superman, espousing that he’s not the real steel deal.  If you’re one of those friends, this may be the book for you.  Your Major Spoilers review of Superman: Lois & Clark #1 awaits!

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From a certain perspective, you kind of can’t blame Jabba The Hutt for having a grudge against Han Solo.  After all, he was contracted to deliver spices, and Kessel Run or no Kessel Run, Jabba’s out some serious credits.  Of course, being a murderous misogynist slug-thing changes your perceptions of stuff, so imagine the charismatic Tony Soprano or Michael Corleone in Jabba’s place, and perhaps it will change your mind?  Dating back decades, the untouchable crime lord has gotten a lot of mileage in pop culture: Daredevil’s battles wouldn’t be nearly as compelling without the Kingpin; Mal Reynolds’ interactions with…

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In an alternate reality, Gwendolyn Stacy, rather than Peter Parker, was bitten by that fateful spider.  Now, we once again return to that world and the adventures of the Amazing Spider-Woman!  Your Major Spoilers review of Spider-Gwen #1 awaits!

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There are a lot of Avengers teams running about in the last ten years or so, but only a very few have been as unconventional as this one is set up to be.  Just how wildly will Roberto “Sunspot” DaCosta change the Avengers status quo?  Your Major Spoilers review of New Avengers #1 awaits!

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Not every comic book universe has the advantage of existing since the 1930s, but that doesn’t mean their history is any less fascinating to read about, especially when your tour guide is the immortal hardcase, Jenny Sparks. Your Major Spoilers (Retro) Review of Stormwatch #44 awaits!

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As long as there have been stories, there have been stories of what terrible things MIGHT have happened, if only somebody hadn’t been there to save the day/fix the flaw/take care of Marty’s kids.  It’s a great way to get around the problems with the status quo, as in the Bad Future, the Decepticons can gain and edge and brutally murder all our favorite Autobots, Tim Hunter can turn into a magical dictator and Peter Petrelli can destroy the world and/or abandon his girlfriend in a dystopian hellhole.  Heck, even Disney has played with this trope (and ‘Meet The Robinsons’…

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