Hello DC, my old friend… I have come to punish myself with you again.
Boy howdy. Here we are with Aqauman after 5 years of mostly failed DC movie attempts. Last time I saw the character of Aquaman, he was in the totally and completely awful Justice League, and to be fair, he was more of an Aquabro rather than an Aquaman. The lines and presence in Justice League was painful, but is it possible that Aquaman could have a shot at redemption?
Bad lines and kind of an off putting performance by Jason Momoa in Justice League really made me not care about the character at all. He was already a joke being the super hero that talks to fishes, and I did not know how a screen portrayal would work. It seemed like a arc out of the show Entourage, oh wait it was an arc in Entourage. Aquaman, in my eyes, just seemed hell bent on being another bad DC movie.
It should be to no surprise that I spent most of 2018 just piling on Aquaman. Every trailer and poster released had instant reactions from me, where I just could not help myself. I was compelled to pile on this movie with as much negativity as I could muster. As people started to see the film, and reviews started to come in, the word of mouth was mostly positive. I of course, began to construct many tin foil hat theories that these were DC fans in early screenings, and DC fans reviewing it. It had to be!
There was only one way to put an end to this… I had to see it for myself. Now after the Justice League fiasco, I was in a hard refusal mode to give DC any more of my money, and time. Something about our generation has that overwhelming feeling of the fear of missing out… and while I had no fears of missing out on an Aquaman movie, I felt disingenuous to continue my professional career of hating DC, and especially hating on this movie. I needed to find out for myself, and inform my empty hatred.
So there I was, unable to convince a single friend to see this movie with me, and sitting in the theater. DC had done it again; they had gotten my money as well as my butt in a seat. I felt fake, uneasy, and just gross about succumbing to the word of mouth on a DC flick. By the times those credits rolled, I was surprised by how I felt about the movie.
Aquaman ended up being totally and undoubtedly…. fine. There is nothing particularly great about it, but there is certainly nothing overly offensive about it, either. Aquaman hones in on a 80’s cartoon vibe and just lives there comfortably, bringing an element of fun to the DC movies that has never existed before. Don’t get me wrong, there is PLENTY to pick apart about his movie. Logic gaps, dumb characters, the failed attempts at comedy, the long run time, and a hit or miss soundtrack are a few of the cornucopia of issues on display here. Seriously, every time they use that guitar riff when Aquaman does anything, got old real quick. You could tell the creators thought it was a rad choice. It wasn’t.
These issues end up only being surface level because of that before mentioned fun factor. Now the comedy is not part of that fun factor, often leading to groans instead of laughs, but the spectacle of it all is unmatched in the DC shared universe. The effects are great, and step above the awful things we witnessed in Justice League (I will never got over that Superman mouth). They use a de-aging type technology to make actors look younger, and while it is not at MCU levels of perfection, it still good. The underwater effects and all the CG looks great, and it is much more comprehensible than it is made out to be in the very busy trailers. There are some stand out moments with the whole Trench arc, both in spectacle and just cool character moments. They really nail the action, and there were a couple moments I caught myself saying “wow” in a very Owen Wilson like manner to much of the spectacle partaking on screen. The scope and execution of these large action sequences are handled in all the right ways.
The cast is great too! Jason Mamoa really carries the movie as Arthur “don’t call my mom Martha” Curry. While his lines suck, he and the rest of the cast do their best with a wacky script. Amber Herd is good in this as well, acting as a good partner and fiercely capable warrior. Willem Dafoe and Patrick Wilson are great in their roles as well. Wilson really hams up the scenes he is in, but is obviously having fun with the character. This movie deserved an over the top, loud villain, and we got one with Ocean Master. Don’t get me wrong, there is so much ham in this movie, but if anything, the cast softens that blow.
The element of fun was always missing from DC movies of today, and Aquaman finally breaks that trend. This is a step in the right direction for the whole DC franchise, and I am hoping the other movies and projects are able to tap into this. Listen, I as much as anyone want a dark DC movie universe, but they tried it and it is just not working for them. It was time to try something new and you get that with Aquaman.
Now don’t get me wrong….DC has a long way to go to catch up with MCU. I cannot express enough how much I want DC to succeed, as I personally favor their characters more. Marvel just remains ahead, and it’s thanks to that early start and just an understanding of the source material. It is not too late for DC, and Aquaman really displays their understanding of the course correction that is in need. I don’t think it ever reaches the highest moments of Wonder Woman, but I think it has a more consistent quality as there is not an entire act that just falls apart like the third act does in Wonder Woman. While Wonder Woman is very good at many moments, I still don’t know if there is anything that is particularly very good about Aquaman, while at the same time not being particularly bad. I just see the changes and it fills me with a sort of optimism about things going forward.
DC has done plenty to earn the distrust of fans and consumers alike. If you genuinely like the movie, great! This is not to demonize the people who enjoy these movies, but I do hope that the current fans are accepting of the incoming changes. Aquaman is not a perfect film, heck it is hardly even a good one, but it gets a lot of the right stuff correct, and that helps me forgive its many shortcomings. It’s not bad…but it is just fine.
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REVIEW | The Punisher Season 2
Colorado Anime Fest Wrap Up
Viz Media Announces Free Streaming Anime!
Sub Cultured is Headed to Colorado Anime Fest!
New Star Wars Trilogy in the Works
Aniplex of America to Stream New Slice of Life Comedy, Slow Start, on Crunchyroll in January 2018
Batman cover by Greg Capullo
It’s been a while since I stopped into my local comic shop and after hearing a few good things about DC Comics’ recent Mister Miracle, I figured I’d swing by and pick it up. Unfortunately for me, my shop was sold out. Not wanting to waste a trip, I picked up a few random issues, one of which was Dark Nights: Metal, the first issue of DC’s latest summer cross-title extravaganza. After giving it a read, I’m still up in the air on whether buying it was the right call or not.
The issue opens 50,000 years in the past with a narrative about three great tribes and quickly transitions to a story in media res of the Justice League locked in a Gladiator-style battle orchestrated by Mongul. Mongul has clad the heroes in accessories that negate their abilities and is forcing them to fight giant robots without any powers. As far as openings go, it was pretty powerful and fairly entertaining, though I don’t understand how it related to the main story at all. Unless it was some kind of continuation from a previous issue somewhere that I missed, all this section did was remind the reader of how clever Batman is.
Dark Nights: Metal was written by Scott Snyder and is the springboard for a new multi-month, multi-title, epic crossover. Snyder is best known for his work on Batman and helped to redefine the character during “New 52” so it comes as no surprise that Batman is the center for Metal. The issue is meant to set the scene for the next few months so most of it is just a run-down of the danger that the Justice League will have to contend with. It’s a universe threatening event and it’s laid out to the audience in no uncertain terms. Literally. Over pages and pages of dialogue. I suppose this is the easiest way for Snyder to really prime readers for what they’re in store for but it doesn’t make for the most explosive of openings. Quite the opposite, actually.
The Justice League are forced to battle in an arena without the use of their abilities.
Greg Capullo’s art did little to capture my attention. I followed him and Snyder for a bit on their initial run on Batman when “New 52” launched and I remember Capullo’s art being far more intriguing than what we’ve gotten in Dark Nights: Metal. I’m not sure if this is due to Jonathan Glapion’s inks detracting from the pencils. Most of Metal is clad in bright lighting, making it a far cry from the darkness and shadows of the “Court of Owls” storyline from Batman. Or it could be the colors by FCO Plascencia, which, again, are far brighter than what I recall of Capullo’s early “New 52” work. It could also be some of the choices Capullo makes; though most of his pages are dynamic and exciting, there are a few panels that are static and uninteresting. Even confusing, on more than one occasion. I’d expect these poor choices from a lesser artist but it’s uncharacteristic from someone like Capullo.
As I stated earlier, most of this first issue is expository, explaining the nature of the “Dark Multiverse” (despite how ridiculous the concept is) so that it’s easy to understand by readers. That exposition helps to bring both regular DC readers and new readers on the same level playing field. However, this causes a confusing disconnect when it comes to casual readers (like myself) and really showcases all of the harm DC has done over the past few years.
The aforementioned “Justice League Megazord”
Dark Nights: Metal spends pages reintroducing characters that are familiar to casual fans, again, like me, creating an awkward continuity. I found myself wondering why no one recognized Red Tornado or why the name “Carter Hall” isn’t familiar to any of the characters. That’s because all of the dicking around DC did with their universe invalidated these characters, so here Snyder needs to reintroduce them. Am I, as a casual fan who hasn’t regularly read a DC comic since six months into “New 52”, supposed to know that? Evidently, yes, and that’s where my enjoyment of the title started to plummet.
There are a few things that I liked about the issue, a couple of flourishes that brought a smile to my face. Batman riding a dinosaur was a neat little touch and came completely out of nowhere. I also liked Cyborg saying “Booyah,” his catchphrase from the Teen Titans cartoon. I don’t think it would have been possible for me not to hear Khary Payton’s voice in my head as I read that. Besides that, though, I was wholly let down by Dark Nights: Metal. The story didn’t do enough to grab me, the exposition was boring and the concept made me roll my eyes.
As a limited “Elseworlds” type series, I could see Metal being something interesting but as a multi-title crossover spanning six months and set in regular continuity, it just sounds dreadful. I do hope I’m wrong, however, and that the story produces some great lore but after the first issue, I’m not confident that will happen.
Grade: C+
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
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Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
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Top 10 Comics of 2017
San Diego Comic Con is just about a month away and there’s a ton of stuff that we’re excited to see come out of the show, like the big announcements from all of the major movie and TV studios and comic book big (and little) shots. However, one of the major draws to the West Coast mecca for geek culture is the exclusive toys that are available at the show.
Over the last couple of weeks, Funko, the purveyor of fine Pop! vinyls, has announced their lineup of SDCC exclusive figures. We have compiled everything right here for you so you can decide before you go which ones you can’t live without (or salivate over the exclusives you’ll need to hunt down on eBay if you can’t make it to San Diego).
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
Warner Brothers announced a slew of films yesterday morning, essentially challenging Marvel with their upcoming movies. So what’s all on the table? Aside from the previously slated Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them (now to be a trilogy), here’s what we can expect through 2020 from WB.
2016
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
We’ve been privy to several released photos and plot lines from Zack Snyder’s gritty, filtered upcoming movie featuring a grizzly, buff, Batfleck and the chiseled jaw of Henry Cavill for some months now, yet I’m not alone in feeling blah toward the upcoming flick, even with the addition of Gal Gadot (whom I adore) as Diana of Themyscira. Inspired by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight, we can probably expect something a bit darker than what we’re used to!
Comic Recommendation: Frank Miller’s Dark Knight books, or maybe Kingdom Come for a slighter older take on the Trinity
Suicide Squad
Again, gritty seems to to be the word of the year over at the studio, so who makes up the roster of this flick of bad guys directed by David Ayer? Deadshot seems to be the obvious choice, but my money is on Harley Quinn making her first ever movie appearance, as well as Black Manta, and the Wall herself, Amanda Waller. I’m all up for bad guys tearing shit up, but as long as there’s some FUN to it!
Comic Recommendation: Keith Giffen’s or Adam Glass’s Suicide Squad
2017
Wonder Woman
FINALLY. It’s been an unforgivable amount of years, but thank the old gods and the new, that our warrior is finally getting her own movie. Sure, it’s two years away, but it’s HAPPENING. Gal Gadot will again be donning the tiara as she battles her way through who knows what, but with the rumors swirling around that Diana’s origins will be in line with her New52 ones, we can except some amazing battles. Hopefully Brian Azzarello or Gail Simone will be on hand to assist with the script, so we can get the Wonder Woman we deserve. PLEASE DO NOT FUCK THIS UP, WARNER BROTHERS.
Comic Recommendation: Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman
C’mon, guys. A whole movie of this? Solid gold.
Justice League
There’s not much to be said about this ensemble film. Will it rival the Avengers? Who knows. Will Martian Manhunter make his appearance? I fucking hope so. Will it be along the lines of the Justice League: War animated film, so our team spends the film sputtering insults at each other? Pass.
Comic Recommendation: Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America
2018
The Flash
It’s not news to some that this cinematic Flash would be different from CW’s Flash, but for some it was quite the nasty shock that Ezra Miller (of Perks of Being a Wallflower fame) will be donning those red tights. No word yet on what sort of story we might see, but MAYBE we can get a different Flash instead of Barry Allen, since he’s basically covered in the television show. Mayhaps a twist on The Flash: Rebirth!
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s The Flash: Rebirth
Aquaman
I had tons to say about Aquaman, but when I found the photo above my wits left me. We know Jason Momoa will be outfitted in the green and gold of DC’s “lamest” superhero, and I personally wish to see the New52’s storyline on the big screen. It handles all the misconceptions about Aquaman, while rendering him a certified badass. This is definitely in my top two “must see” flicks on this list so far, simply because it was getting lonely being the only Aquaman fan!
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s Aquaman
2019
Shazam
We got confirmation that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be wearing that shiny, white cape of Billy Batson’s alter-ego, but this is the movie I’m least excited to see. It has potential for laughs, as Shazam gets the job done with a child-like wonder, but my main concern is how strong the story will be. There’s so many questions too, such as will the rest of the Marvel family appear? Will he just be called Shazam, or will we know him by Captain Marvel (not to be confused by Marvel’s Captain Marvel), if the copyright is still in place? Will Black Adam be the big bad?
Comic Recommendation: Jeff Smith’s Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil
Justice League 2
Again, there’s not much to go one, except rumors, but if rumors are all I have, so be it. Speculation places Darkseid as the blue-faced villain of the first Justice League movie (joining other blue faced nemeses like Apocalypse, from Fox’s X-Men, and Thanos, from Marvel’s cinematic universe), so I will use my tiny bit of internet to plead for Starro or Amazo or Vandal Savage! There’s so much out there, just waiting to see a tiny slice of the general population. So much. It’d be amazing as a comic fan to see some of it played out in all its glory.
Comic Recommendation: Mark Waid’s JLA: Tower of Babel
2020
Cyborg
Of all the people in the DC Universe, I was most surprised by this announcement. Victor Stone isn’t a character that you normally see solo (normally he’s on the Teen Titans roster), but a teenager with a genius level intellect will be a nice addition to all the burly men (and one woman) we will so far be seeing! Ray Fisher doesn’t have much under his belt aside from a handful of Broadway shows, but he’s set to make his first appearance in the Batman v. Superman movie, giving us a peek at what we can expect in 2020.
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s Teen Titans or Judd Winnick’s Titans
Green Lantern
As much as I would love this Green Lantern movie to feature John Stewart (cause let’s all admit, 90% of the Ryan Reynolds GL was trash), I think that would be hopeful to the point of foolishness, given DC’s track record of being wholly ignorant of what we, the fans, want. TWO blockbuster filmed led by black men in the SAME YEAR, would be absolutely mind blowing, and tons of people are already fans of John Stewart, having grown up on the animated Justice League series. Let’s make this happen, DC. Representation matters!
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s Green Lantern: Rebirth or John Starlin’s Cosmic Odyssey
Overall, this is exciting, and I’m very much cautiously optimistic of what the future holds. There’s still stand alone Batman, and Superman films that haven’t been announced yet, so with these PLUS all that Marvel is bringing to the screen…well, let’s just say my wallet is going to be a lot lighter, assuming I like what I see from trailers, and so forth. My only thing is…I hope both studios think of the younger people, and involve some of the teenager teams, like Teen Titans, and the Runaways or Young Avengers.
What movie are you most excited for?
Editor’s Note: Leia will be glad to help you find the comics referenced above, just tweet at her (@ladyvader99)!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
First, most of people are aware by now of DC Comics’ big Batwoman debacle this week with its Eisner award winning writer/artist JH Williams III and co-writer W. Haden Blackman both deciding to leave after issue #26 and since said announcement their run is now being cut even shorter.
It has to be said outright; editorial driving away all of it’s A+ talent (and lesser talents but still talent nonetheless) over excessive editorial interference and last minute edicts and bans over the past two years has gotten ridiculous. Since the reboot over twenty artists and writers have burned bridges and left DC Comics due to poor treatment, last minute changes and editorial impeding storytelling. Writer Gail Simone was fired via email and is only back writing Batgirl (an abysmal book in tone and content, the worst writing of her career) because fans had a massive outcry. Add in Dan Didio and Co’s ongoing feud with Batgirl fans over nonsensical edicts barring former Batgirls Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain from canon (a blessing in disguise) and non-canon alternate universe books (seemingly purely out of spite), the decimated state of the Batman family of heroes, the Flash family (care for the Flash title which actually is a terrific book) and so on. So many issues all over the board it is hard to list them all. Above all; the entire DC canon since the reboot, instead of being simpler and easier to understand as intended or touted to being, is a complete and utter mess. Look no further than Superboy’s new time-travel laden origin for an example of the awful and unnecessarily complicated choices DC has made.
Yes they are a company and they aim to make money; but all this dirty laundry and negative press regarding how people are treated there in an industry meant to entertain is leaving overall a negative image of the company and discourages aspiring writers (like myself) and artists to want to work there.
Literally any other company in any other field whose problems concerning the higher ups and that much information being revealed at how difficult and negative everything is working with them, would be toast. Diane Nelson either has a complete laissez-faire attitude, is completely ignorant of her editorial staff and what happens when they open their mouths on twitter, Facebook and at conventions, or is just another loose screw in the entire system. Which is disappointing since we need more women Presidents of companies. However, just because she’s a woman does not mean she is doing a good job. Their inability to really grasp or launch a movie universe franchise, their slow dismantling of Vertigo, the lack of attention to girls as a consumer base, ignoring kids and tweens as consumers in general outside of toys and Lego and DC’s extreme fear of Wonder Woman are just a few problems that plague DC Entertainment outside of their comic line. The cracks are everywhere.
As for DC the editorial staff might as well write all their books themselves if they won’t let anyone tell the story the way they really want to and force so many last minute edicts and moves ultimately chasing everyone away from the sandbox. Many of these edicts appear purely out of spite; for instance at Baltimore Comic Con this past Saturday (the 7th) Dan Didio has just in response to the barring of Batwoman from being married additionally revealed Mera and Aquaman were never married either. Which if you read the newer comics there are many references to her being the Queen of Atlantis as Arthur is King so I don’t know what is going on there. If it is a joke, it’s a stupid low blow. If it’s true then I am left rather speechless.
The only thing consistent about DC Comics is that editorial hates marriages. And they hate marriages because it supposedly “ruins drama”. This is false; characters being married under good writers should never be an issue in keeping superhero narratives fun and exciting. You also don’t need their lives to be a constant drag. That’s not why I read superheroes, but perhaps I am not who they want reading their comics. It’s really not hard. To say otherwise means you are a poor writer or lack creativity.
This is where I shut down and thank the stars, stripes and Wonder Woman’s invisible jet that DC fans are better at handling DC’s characters than their own company. Because where in the reality of DC Comics is negative and grim and full of just awful over in fan-made works there is nothing but mostly love and overall, understanding of the characters.
This is where I happily bring to you Brittney Williams’ concept ‘The Daily Planet Files’ and it is the Superman adaptation you never knew you even wanted.
Fan-work like Brittney Williams has’ The Daily Planet Files’ Superman concept and upcoming one-shot “manga-esque” comic is literally lifeblood for me in its brilliance. For those jaded and sad by all the negativity from DC and miss Superman that is a 100% accurate and true to form. This is Superman done right.
A personal fan project for the character designer and recent story trainee at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Brittney is doing this for herself and it just so happens to be absolutely a pitch perfect rendition of Superman, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and all their colleagues at The Daily Planet. Take a look for yourself:
Oh my glob Jimmy.
I mean is this not the Lois and Clark to end all Lois and Clarks? Look at that purple hair of glory.
Why can’t the people who actually own these characters do it this well?
Clark you’re adorable. Jimmy stop its too much. Lois is so cute. What is going on with my emotions?!
And that’s just a taste. A word about the series from Brittney’s deviantart (where you can see super HQ big versions of these images) regarding her Superman concepts and the project:
It all began as I was nonchalantly channel surfing one day in early April, and I happened upon Superman the Animated series. Immediately I was thrown back into the early 90’s when I was a kid, and afternoons were spent playing outside then running into the house at 3 to watch Superman. I started to remember how much I actually used to love Superman and I was suddenly inspired to draw.
As some of you may have noticed Lois, Jimmy, and Clark vary a bit with each drawing in my gallery. That phenomenon is due to me never being quite satisfied with their designs. In each drawing I play with different influences, shapes, and styles, but at the same time, I try to stay true to the characters and how I would want to draw them as an artist.
She makes the underwearless costume look good too I swear why is she not in charge.
She’s had every other haircolor. Why not?
It is actually really cool to see the progression she mentions if you look through her gallery; Clark goes from being super broad and vertical to being a bit more gentle, burly and having a bit of a slouch. The oafish “country boy”. They all get slightly cartoonier and manga-esque. Jimmy is the most obvious in progression if you look through her archive; he goes from chipmunk-y buck toothed duck haired Jimmy to a scruffy hipster with a sparse mustache to then a scrappy greaser-type with a patchy goatee and in another display of art evolution recent pictures feature him a bit more clean shaven and the return of the bowtie to his punkier style. It’s really really cool and it’s amazing how well Brittney gets these characters and yet it be fresh and new.
Clark Kent with a puppy.
How can you not love Lois Lane?
Jimmy you lil punk.
More from Brittney:
Eventually a story idea began forming in my head. I wanted to draw a little comic, purely for my personal entertainment, but alas the Internet is a dangerous thing. This is where The Daily Planet Files comes into existence. Just a short story about Clark Kent being the protector of the city he loves, and how I perceive the world his family and friends live in, my interpretation. Being one a little too obsessed with manga/anime I instantly knew it would be drawn in my strange shonen inspired style. I’ve always loved Osamu Tezuka, Akira Toriyama, Go Nagai- but yet I digress.
She has posted teasers of pages from the one-shot on her tumblr and I urge everyone to go check it out; some are much too big to put on here it just doesn’t serve them any justice.
In some ways it is disappointing that people like Brittney are not actually in charge or put at the helm of a project or could take her project to DC and it actually become a huge money-making franchise. The want I have for this as an ongoing or a graphic novel series or an animated TV-show (or all of the above) of this is just massive. And it would be popular. Just look at it. You know it would be!
I wish DC would wise-up. Because at the end of the day I love their characters but hate the company. If I had to choose, these days I will always go towards fan-media full of love and admiration for the characters than their own official stories and media dictated by a stale and bitter editorial who are overall stuck in an unfortunate state of absolute disconnect and poor taste.
Perfection. Utterly.
Can these be anymore in character? Like I’m done I don’t need any other version.
http://brittneywilliamsportfolio.carbonmade.com/
http://the-orange-one.deviantart.com/
http://anotherbrittneywilliams.tumblr.com/
See you next time!
Max Eber
Staff Writer/The Doctor
max@ihogeek.com
Twitter: @maxlikescomics
Aquaman is the Embodiment of “Fine”
REVIEW | The Punisher Season 2
Sub Cultured Heads to PAX South 2019!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
Sub Cultured is Heading to DakuCon 2018!
Wow, that is a mouthful of a title.
Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox is the latest animated endeavor from DC Entertainment based on the Geoff Johns penned 2011 story Flashpoint set to release on July 30th. By good fortune and luck, I was able to watch it two weeks early (many thanks to the friend who “acquired” it), so how well did it adapt the story?
For those of you unfamiliar with Flashpoint, it is the precursor to the relaunch of the DC New52 Universe and sets the event in motion. As you might expect, this is a Flash-centric story with Barry Allen waking up in an altered timeline after changing time and saving his mother from Professor Zoom (or Reverse Flash, whatever you prefer). No good deed comes without consequences, as the ripples of this change result in a war between Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Without access to the Speed Force or his powers, thanks to a crafty Professor Zoom, Barry re-enacts the moment that gave him his powers in the first place in a dangerous attempt to right the universe.
It’s a well known fact that comic adaptations will leave things out here and there, and in some portions, Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox did this wonderfully, while in others erred. For example, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. The base story remained the same: they were going to be married for “convenience” and then something happened that turned them against each other forever, but part of this sub plot is completely missing. Wonder Woman is also much more cutthroat and merciless, a change that was pretty amazing in my opinion. I won’t spoil anything for you in regards to the rest of the changes, in the hopes that you will check out the movie for yourself.
A much larger problem for me was the art behind the animation, agreeing with a fellow viewer about the lack of proper proportions and terrible mouths on the characters. Then, the second I curled my lip in distaste, the Flash would run and it was beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. Thankfully, I found ways to distract myself from staring at the characters’ lips and Aquaman’s grotesquely small head, namely by listening to the spot on star studded voice cast which included Cary Elwes, Nathan Fillion, Steve Blum, Justin Chambers, Kevin Conroy and more.
Those who loved the tie-ins rather than the main storyline will find plenty to love about the movie, as there are plenty of nods to characters that appeared because of Barry’s timeline tampering, including a 2 second appearance of the Canterbury Cricket. There’s even some fan service for those of us who loved Young Justice!
Overall, Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox is fun. You feel every one of those 75 minutes, but at least half of them fly by without you noticing. Let me know what you thought about it once you pick up your copy!! By the way, Amazon so far has it for the cheapest.
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