Justice League: War - Review

Background:
Justice League: War stems from the relaunch of the entire DC Universe: The New 52 comic series, which began in 2011. In this adventure, heroes unite for a common cause: protect the planet from the evil Darkseid.

Obviously, with the relaunch of an entire series there comes change, and where there's change, controversy follows. This is especially true for characters that have been around for nearly an entire century like Superman and Batman.

If you're watching this film simply for enjoyment, I would say that Justice League:War fulfills that purpose. There were detailed and realistic action scenes, it was visually pleasing, and many of the heroes that we know and love from the DC Universe were there...or maybe not exactly as we know and love them...


Wonder Woman: 
For one thing, I would say that Wonder Woman's new wardrobe is definitely an improvement. While it's very different from the original, it still stays true to the character and gives her a more modern look.

On another note, there are some characterization changes that do not do her any service. Wonder Woman has always been a strong independent woman, with staunch opposition to misogyny. I mean she was born and bred in an island where only strong (mentally and physically) women are allowed, and men are strictly prohibited.

In many ways, this character has been the symbol for women's rights and equality in the DC Universe (but then again, some may disagree). Read more about Wonder Woman and American Feminism in The Stockton Post Colonial Studies Project. In Justice League: War, she's not only objectified by her male counterparts, but she welcomes Superman's assertiveness when he "claims" her for himself. And yes, I am aware of the romance with the two in The New 52, but it just wasn't developed in this movie.

Speaking of Superman:
Is that really you, Clark? For the record, I'm not the biggest Superman fan in the world, but I've learned to appreciate the character more by understanding the complexity of his actions, and inactions. He symbolizes hope, justice and restraint. You ever wonder why the strongest dude in the DC Universe is always getting whooped? Is it because he's not good enough, not powerful enough, or is it because of his incredible restraint? He inhibits himself to protect others, always worrying that his power will hurt those around him.

Umm...not so much in this movie. The new Superman seems arrogant, careless and pretty ruthless. That's him (above) smiling after choking Batman out. At one point during the action sequence with Superman I was actually worried for Batman. It seemed like a completely different person decided to stamp that "S" on their chest. I was unpleasantly surprised with this version of Superman.

Shazam!:

There aren't too many major differences with this character, except for his name, of course. Formerly known as Captain Marvel, the thunder-wielding magical hero is now known only as Shazam! However, this change is mainly due to trademark battles between Marvel and DC, not the release of the new 52.

Aside from the name, the cape now on both shoulders and the slight change in the symbol, the one thing that stuck out at me was how much of a selfish little jerk Billy Batson was. For those who don't know, Billy is the little boy that transforms into the adult-sized hero when saying the magic word: "Shazam." He's an orphan, he's bullied, but he always finds a way to help others, and treat people as he would like to be treated. This is one of the reasons he's originally chosen to be Captain Marvel. I wondered if this was still the case after watching this film.

Cyborg:

Alright, I realize I'm bashing the movie a little bit, but it wasn't my intention, honestly. So here's positive: Cyborg. Cyborg is one of the few characters in the film which I liked (of course Batman is included, are you kidding me?). He is probably the only character in the film with some character development. It was a good origin story, especially for the time allotted.

The main reason I liked Cyborg was because I actually got to know what the person behind the mask (err..robot plate?) was going through emotionally. Ironically enough, you only see it with a guy who's half human and half robot.



Final Verdict:
If you're just looking to watch something for fun, I say go ahead and watch it. If you're a true DC fan, I say go ahead and watch it also, but as seen above, you may come away not liking a few things. I believe this revamp of the Justice League has some potential, but it also has some major character flaws. I'm interested in seeing where it goes, but deep down inside I'm not too happy with the changes.

Here's the trailer if you haven't seen the movie yet. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments.

Link for those in mobile devices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3F9ASSsHUk.

X-Men Apocalypse Movie 2016!

That's right! Barely a month after taking a look at the first X-Men Days of Future Past trailer, director and producer, Bryan Singer hints at an X-Men Apocalypse movie.

If his name didn't already give it away, Apocalypse is THE definition of Epic, in X-Men world. He is the very first being in the Marvel universe to carry, what Professor X calls, the X-Gene. He is also, arguably, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe - often compared to DC's Darkseid. By the way, Darkseid's home planet is called Apocalypse, but let's save that discussion for another time...

Apocalypse is immortal, can regenerate, absorb others' powers, can transform even the strongest of heroes, like The Hulk into his own personal henchmen, has an insatiable thirst for power and changing the world in his image, and apparently he's a bit of a tech geek...evil alien tech, that is.

The revelation of this news is in line with Marvel's idea of tying all films together, and further building out the Marvel Universe.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer, Simon Kinberg and his company, Genre Films have signed a three-year first-look deal with FOX, which will include an expansion of the studio's X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises. He is already heavily involved in X-Men Days of Future Past, so this is good for FOX, and Marvel fans alike.

"I have a lot of ideas on how to built those brands and do what everybody is thinking of these days: Be like Marvel," Kinberg tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I want to be able to build stories over multiple movies."

So Marvel fans, get ready, you're in for a wild ride!

Must Have Comic Book IOS Games

Games:

1. The Walking Dead

Whether or not you are a fan of The Walking Dead comic book series, the AMC television show or just a fan of great story telling, this is definitely the game for you.

This is arguably the best IOS game that I have ever played. It is extremely interactive and it has great graphics. However, it is the story that truly separates itself from the rest of the games out there.

Unlike other games, for IOS that rely heavily on tapping or tilting of the device, this game is all about quick thinking and decision making in tough situations.

It may be a bit on the pricey side when you start downloading the episodes, but you are pretty much playing a video game and watching an extension of The Walking Dead series, so I say buy it!

2. Injustice Gods Among Us

This is definitely one of the more popular IOS games at the moment. While it is nothing like the console version where you can actually maneuver the characters making them jump, side step or even rush forward, this game does still have a few gems that make it so addictive.

First of all, there is great variety in this game. What it lacks in the storyline (which is not present at all), it makes up for in graphics and character selection. There are over 40 super hero characters you can choose from including some lesser known outside of the comic book community like Lobo, Nightwing, Cyborg, Solomon Grundy and even Doomsday.

It is a free game, so you have nothing to lose. Try it out. It may get a bit repetitive, but it is worth just to try out all of the different characters and see their special moves.

3.Batman Arkham City Lockdown

Like Injustice: Gods Among Us, there is simply no comparison to the console version vs. the IOS version, but for those without a console this is one of the best action IOS games out there. You can play with different batman skins from the Batman: Year One suit to the Batman Beyond suit.

While playing this game you have the opportunity of battling villains like The Joker, an extremely juiced up Solomon Grundy and Deathstroke (above) which happens to be one of my favorites. The special moves can be modified to your preference and there is a pretty good selection. This has one of the things that Injustice lacks: a decent story line and direction. For that reason and flexibility in fighting I would say this game is better than Injustice.

4. Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem

This one is an oldie. It was probably the first Super Hero game I downloaded on my IOS device. As you may expect from a Spider-Man game, there is not as much of a serious tone as you would see in a game like Batman. That does not mean that this game is not tons of fun, because it certainly is.

Some of the villains in the game include Doctor Octopus, Venom and Rhino. I like the game because there seems to be an entire world created for Spider-Man. It definitely gives you a lot of variety and makes the game that much more interesting. One of the best perks of this game is having the ability to play as Symbiote Suit Spider-Man. :-)

5. X-Men

This is definitely a throwback, but it in my opinion it is always great to see a classic come to a modern media (even if nothing was actually changed).

If you enjoyed this 8-bit X-Men game back in the day, you will enjoy it now. It is pretty easy maneuver. It has your basic directional pad, punch/kick button, jump button and a special attack which varies from character to character. If you are a big X-Men fan and would like to reminisce, I say buy it. It's just 99 cents!

What The Wolverine Movie Poster Tells Us About The Film

The idea of “social media”, like it or not, has etched itself in our brains and engraved itself in our culture. It affects our everyday actions and even consumption habits. With good reason, social media has been a driving force for marketers as of late like vine, twitter and YouTube, but does that make it the most effective form of communication out there? I think not.

Although there has been some great online marketing like this awesome motion poster, it has not been my absolute favorite.

One of the lost arts in this fast paced world of social is print advertising. In my opinion, minimalism can speak volumes (if you use it the right way).The most effective form of print communication is that with an image so powerful that it requires no copy or vice versa.

This is why I love this specific poster so much for The Wolverine movie. The only copy seen is the release date of the movie in the bottom and what I must assume is the Japanese version of the date to the left. As soon as I see this image I am drawn in. This image alone tells a story of sadness, anger revenge and rebirth.

The subtle choices in text, color and brush strokes imply that this is a story from Japan. The background is meant to look like Hanshi; the paper used for calligraphy. The ink colors, black and red are those primarily used in Japanese calligraphy. Even Wolverine’s stance has a samurai-like appearance.

For those who do not know, Wolverine has a deep history in the country of Japan. His emotions are tied there, his skill derives from there and in this movie we will hopefully find out what other connections Wolverine has to the country.

Be sure to stay tuned for my review of the movie itself. Don’t let that stop you from watching it on your own! 

Metta-X: The Origin

So before I start dropping POWs and KABOOMs left and right on all of you, let me tell you a little bit about myself and how I ended up here. My Super Hero Origin story if you will...

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved Super Heroes. Not only for their extraordinary abilities that one can only dream of having, their awesome gadgets and outfits comparable to their strengths, but especially for their very human qualities that we all strive to obtain. Qualities as cliche as they may sound like honor, truth, selflessness and justice. Without these qualities, they would simply not be heroes.

There is an undeniable shadow of hope that they cast over the minds of aficionados of all ages, backgrounds and locations. Whether it was Superman subliminally fighting for the "American Way" during the World War II era, or The X-Men's relentless message of equality: We should accept ourselves and each other as we are, despite differences in race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

This is the power of Super Heroes to me. Like music it is a universal language.

Interlude: Who is my favorite Super Hero, you ask? I'll give you my top 3.

Drum Roll 
1.Batman (aka The Dark Night, The Detective, Bruce Wayne)

What is not to like about a man who chooses to defy all odds, fight crime against an entire city and become one of the most respected heroes out there...without any powers?

He relies on nothing but raw martial arts skills, intelligence, research, training, and oh yeah, he's stinking rich. Not even Superman can take this guy on. Too tough and too smart.








2. Spider-Man (aka Web Head, Spidey, Peter Parker)

The guy freakin' swings through the streets of New York City with home made web shooters! I mean, how cool is that?

I am sucker for underdog stories. This guy went from being the biggest nerd in school to having super strength, spider-senses and a super cool costume and despite that...he is still the biggest nerd and a bit of a clown. In many ways, he reminds me of myself which is why I have a soft spot for him.








3. Wolverine: Official X-Men Member (aka Logan, James Howlett)

Wolverine is just a straight up bad ass, but he is still a good guy. Animal like senses, healing abilities, skilled martial artist and he has claws coming out of his knuckles!

The dude is seriously messed up, suffering from post-traumatic stress, being experimented on by the government, anger issues, memory loss and not to mention, something always happens to the woman he loves. Somehow he always finds a way to put that aside and do what is right.

So why The Metta-X Review?
Just a little background: The Metagene according to the DC Universe is a rare human gene which gives humans the ability to potentially become super-powered beings. Similarly, in the Marvel Universe, specifically X-Men, the X-Gene described by Charles Xavier is the result of genetic mutation granting humans the ability to become super powered mutants. 

Essentially they are one in the same. If you have not noticed already, we will be covering both DC and Marvel. The best of both worlds...errr universes.

I would like to give a special thank you to my friend Nick which has always pushed me to do what I love and consequently made me start The Metta-X Review.