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Post by D. Golightly on Dec 31, 2018 11:53:13 GMT -5
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Post by johncheese on Dec 31, 2018 16:12:50 GMT -5
That’s right m’lords and m’dames I’ve got one more review in me. In what is hopefully the last review of 2018 (GMT) I give you my ten cents (I just need a few more to make a euro) on what I think of my four-course festive meal.
Bread Course - Christmas for Losers
The Blob has always been a character that confuses me, he has such potential to be more then dumb muscle (fat?) but outside of Freedom Force in the 90s has seen little development. In this tale not only does he, but Unus the Untouchable get a good developing, not through exploration of their mutant abilities but by touching on their human side. Even evil mutants seem to enjoy the holidays which is more than I can say for a certain pair. The Matador must be really smarting in particular, he went mano-on-mano with Lady Deathstrike earlier this year and won, from his lack of festive cheer. This isn’t something that’s missing from this story of holiday spirit with the most unlikely of ‘heroes’.
Starter Course - An Elsewords Christmas
Travis Hiltz gives us a bizarre look at a Man of Steel who fell in with the Kringle’s (no I don’t know who they are but I suspect that they might be Finnish) and works as a full time Santa and part time super hero. Such stories that fall under the Elsewords needn’t be serious, and this offering was a superb dose of silly and though provoking, especially when you compare St Nick with the Man of Steel. All in all it was a good laugh and a healthy dose of festive cheer as well as a tale that makes good use of Superman and his extensive supporting cast.
Main Course - Not Even a Mouse
Cloak and Dagger are going through somekind of renaissance at the moment in actual Marvel cannon, but their absence in M2K has been somewhat conspicuous. I know a while back I did ponder on doing a Cloak and Dagger mini-series but decided to go elsewhere because I didn’t think I could pull it off. Liam Goncet does carry it off however, getting the right level of sweetness and tension that the duo shares to the right ratio. In addition, this story pays lip service to other events in M2K which is always a good thing to see in any tale. While I don’t know if the writer is willing to continue the events shown here it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he did, this story was incredibly well done.
Desert - Batgirl Christmas Special
Festive specials needn’t have to focus on conflict, indeed they do much better on harmony and family, something Emma Woods has capitalised on here. Indeed, the fact that Stephanie makes sure to get back to Ted in time for their re-watching of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is the same brand of adorable that the titular character ships out all year round. The ending in particular shows the bond that Stephanie and Ted share, something that hopefully we’ll see explored a little more in the upcoming issues of Batgirl. All in all the story is a testament to how the writer continues to improve her writing and what we have to look forward next year.
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Post by travis on Jan 1, 2019 11:20:04 GMT -5
As always, thanks for the nice reviews:
I like Blob and Unus because they are both incredibly powerful, but considered losers in X-continuity, as well as their friendship. They are like a really dysfunctional Power man and Iron Fist.
Super Claus: The Kringles were the toymakers from the 'Santa Claus is coming to town' cartoon. In my story, instead of elves, they are 5th dimensional imps. I had fun writing this weird mix of silver age superman and Rankin-Bass Christmas special. Might make it my regular holiday contribution.
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goncet
Virgin-4-Lyfe
Posts: 96
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Post by goncet on Jan 1, 2019 12:42:54 GMT -5
Main Course - Not Even a MouseCloak and Dagger are going through somekind of renaissance at the moment in actual Marvel cannon, but their absence in M2K has been somewhat conspicuous. I know a while back I did ponder on doing a Cloak and Dagger mini-series but decided to go elsewhere because I didn’t think I could pull it off. Liam Goncet does carry it off however, getting the right level of sweetness and tension that the duo shares to the right ratio. In addition, this story pays lip service to other events in M2K which is always a good thing to see in any tale. While I don’t know if the writer is willing to continue the events shown here it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he did, this story was incredibly well done. Thanks for the kind words, John! I’ve always had a fondness for Cloak & Dagger so, I was very excited to be able to use them for this story. I don’t have all the details planned out yet, but this might not be the last story I pen with the duo.
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goncet
Virgin-4-Lyfe
Posts: 96
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Post by goncet on Jan 12, 2019 13:17:03 GMT -5
It's a new year which means it is time for new reviews!
Christmas For Losers - I'll admit that I don't think much of The Blob or Unus the Untouchable. They are typically portrayed as also-rans in the mutant world and while Travis Hiltz doesn't change that perception he does craft a very entertaining holiday tale. The dynamic between Blob and Unus is the stuff buddy comedies are made of and it carries this entire story. The fight with Matador and Man-Bull was fun, but the real heart of the tale was Blob's emotional explanation about why he wants just one day of Christmas cheer. Blob and Unus may be destined for a jail cell sooner or later, but they managed to avoid it for now.
The Sugar Rush - Guillotine has become a favorite of mine thanks to John Cheese's stories and so to see her involved in this tale that feels part "The Twilight Zone" and part holiday fairy tale is wonderful. Here Guillotine gets taken into the strange world of a villain known as Sugar Rush and must confront the mentally unstable woman behind the facade. The story is rather simple, but that doesn't stop it from packing a surprising emotional punch at the end. The holidays, as with any time, can be pretty lonely for some and Cheese uses that emotion to power the final part of this tale.
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Post by johncheese on Jan 16, 2019 13:44:36 GMT -5
It's a new year which means it is time for new reviews! The Sugar Rush - Guillotine has become a favorite of mine thanks to John Cheese's stories and so to see her involved in this tale that feels part "The Twilight Zone" and part holiday fairy tale is wonderful. Here Guillotine gets taken into the strange world of a villain known as Sugar Rush and must confrontț the mentally unstable woman behind the facade. The story is rather simple, but that doesn't stop it from packing a surprising emotional punch at the end. The holidays, as with any time, can be pretty lonely for some and Cheese uses that emotion to power the final part of this tale. Wow thanks for the review. In all honesty this was mearly ment to be a filler piece based on a twisted retelling of the Nutcracker. The ending was a sudden brainwave however, Jeannie has no support system as Guillotine. Marc isn't exactly going to welcome her vigilantism wuth open arms, more like handcuffs, and the Fleur de Mal isn't exactly a friend either. I figured she's been isolated for a long time and that kind of thing is never good. In the end all the pirouettes and stabbings became the bay doors to drop that heart tugging bombshell.
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