Ever since I threatened to do all the panels at Nerdtacular 2014 in a luchador mask, I’ve been considering how cool it might be to actually live la vida enmascarada, wearing my ceremonial mask at all times in public. Of course, I wouldn’t want to be any old John Q. Public, I’d want to be at the top of the heap as El Santo, if only he weren’t currently deceased. Now that I think of it, though, taking over anyone’s life would have such issues (though maybe not quite so terminal.) I wouldn’t mind singing like Neil Patrick Harris, but…
Author: Matthew Peterson
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.
In the far flung future, on thousand years hence, the greatest superheroes of the present day have been revived to face a new threat How successful are they as they prepare to wrap up their first big arc? Your Major Spoilers review of Justice League 3000 #6 awaits!
The most wonderful part of Retro Reviews comes in seeing the trends that people think of as “modern” in play in comics decades old. In 2011, DC made serious changes to the Man Of Steel’s mythos, power set and back story, but did you know that something VERY similar had already taken place… …FOUR. DECADES. EARLIER. Your Major Spoilers (retro) review of Superman #233 awaits!
As discussed in yesterday’s MS-QOTD, I was fascinated this week to read an analysis of ‘The Lone Ranger’ which discussed whether or not its failure was entirely due to the presence of Johnny Depp in a key role. The basic premise was simple: Johnny Depp is best taken in small doses, and when he’s the focus of the story, as in ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’, audiences are cold, whereas his similar turn in ‘Alice In Wonderland’ was better received. Since we covered the D-Man’s bestest work yesterday (unless you cheated and got all negative before it was time), today…
From the big screen to the comics page, Black Dynamite is on the move! Well, metaphorically speaking anyway, as The Man who has been trying to keep him down has managed to lock Dynamite up in Guantanamo for crimes he didn’t commit. But can any prison hold Black Dynamite for long? Your Major Spoilers review of Black Dynamite #2 awaits!
I was fascinated this week to read an analysis of ‘The Lone Ranger’ which discussed whether or not its failure was entirely due to the presence of Johnny Depp in a key role. The basic premise was simple: Johnny Depp is best taken in small doses, and when he’s the focus of the story, as in ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’, audiences are cold, whereas his similar turn in ‘Alice In Wonderland’ was better received. It’s an interesting theory, but for my part, Depp is usually more palatable with his frequent collaborator Tim Burton, and then only about 3 movies…
She-Hulk’s new law firm needed a big case to make its name, but crossing swords with Doctor Doom was not on the docket. Now, She-Hulk’s won her case, but LOST her client, and a battle with Victor Von Doom seems inevitable. Your Major Spoilers review of She-Hulk #4 awaits!
The youth movement in Coral City may have run its course, but there’s still a few loose ends left untied, and a few last tales to tell… Your Major Spoilers review of The Movement #12 awaits!
An entire school full of students and staff have disappeared off the face of the planet… literally. But where have they GONE? Your Major Spoilers review of The Woods #1 awaits!
The down side of social media has been in play all this week, as my high school cohorts prepare for the 25th anniversary of our graduation. Sadly, it’s not looking like I can make it, but I’m kind of okay with that, so long as I can watch ‘Say Anything,’ the movie that is more 1989 than my actual 1989 ever was. Though I was never as tenacious as Lloyd Dobler, nor as a successful as Diane Court, there’s a truthfulness at the core of the performances that will always take me right back to high school (for good or…
The crew of Serenity made a difficult strike against the forces of The Alliance, but that doesn’t mean that the threat is over. With one of their own missing, and terrible new revelations from River Tam, Mal and his makeshift family may have bitten off more than they can chew… Your Major Spoilers review of Serenity: Leaves On The Wind #4 awaits!
Ahh, the summer comic book annual! The old dance designed to separate kids of the 50s with twice as much of their allowance at once, leading to odd, out-of-continuity tales that often don’t really matter all that much. These days, annuals are somewhat rarer and less goofy, but some creators still remember the fun of the old days… Your Major Spoilers (retro) review of Uncanny Avengers Annual #1 awaits!
As a child, I never really got the appeal of G.I. Joe baddie The Baroness, finding her glasses-and-vague-accent schtick to remind me too much of my high school Spanish teacher. Nowadays, I think my teenage self a fool for a number of reasons, one of which is the appreciation of the ‘She-Wolf of the S.S.’ archetype with its subtle blend of sensuality and evil. (I also realize that my high school Spanish teacher was a pretty fine-looking woman, but that’s another discussion entirely.) Whether it is Elsa Schneider matching wits with Indiana Jones or Brigid leading Sam Spade astray in…
In honor of Star Wars Day, Retro Review is off into a galaxy far, far away. (For best results, turn your font yellow, and read with your computer screen tilted to about a 30-degree angle.) The Star Wars Expanded Universe may no longer be officially canon to Lucasfilm/Disney, but that doesn’t mean WE ever have to let it go! Your Major Spoilers (retro) review of Star Wars Tales #1 awaits!