Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Recap: Gravity

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Episode 3: "The Asset"

When Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D was first announced, one of the things that Marvel fans, myself included, were looking forward to, were seeing Marvel characters that maybe weren't big enough to be in a movie make their debut.  Now, I certainly wasn't expecting the Wasp to be flying around by episode three, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little disappointed that after two episodes we still weren't seeing anything familiar.  Well, that changed slightly with this episode, where the series introduced the man who would be the villain Graviton.  So, what went down?  Hit the jump to find out.

Things That Suck: Fables Ending with Issue 150

Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham announce critcally acclaimed Vertigo series, Fables, will end with issue #150

When I first decided to get back into reading comic books some 11 years ago, I stuck to what I knew.  I started out reading X-Men comics and then eventually branched out to other Marvel titles, then I meandered over to DC.  I really wasn't familiar with independent or non-mainstream comics.  I remember there was an article from IGN talking about the best comic series of the moment from both major publishers.  Number one on the list for DC was the book Fables.  I had never heard of it and I thought I was pretty up on what DC was publishing.  Well, I wasn't the well-informed fanboy that I thought I was, because I didn't realize that DC had separate imprint for their more "edgier" titles - Vertigo.

Well, I tracked down all the trades that were out and I was hooked.  I loved this grown-up take on the fairy tale characters that I had grown up loving in print and in various Disney movies.  A town hidden in New York where Snow White is the deputy mayor and the Big Bad Wolf, now going by the name of Bigby, is the sherriff.  Mortal enemies working together, grudingly, due to a treaty that was signed pardoning everyone for crimes committed in the homelands.

Fables is amazing.  It is adult, but still whimsical.  Some of the characters have been changed dramatically -- The Frog Prince a janitor!  Cinderella a secret agent! -- but the core of what makes them who they are still remains intact.  The book moves at a surprsing clip, months going by in one arc.  Willingham isn't scared to kill off characters, or alter the status quo dramatically if that is what best serves the characters and the story he is trying to tell.

The art by Mark Buckingham is some of the best in comic books.  It walks that fine line of looking like it came straight out of a Hans Christensen or Brothers Grimm tale, but still being realistic looking.  Willingham and Buckingham are the dictionary definition of a dream team.

Fables has been a resounding success for DC.  It has spawned spin-off comic series like Jack of Fables, focused on Jack, from the various Jack fairy tale stores, and the currently running Fairest, telling untold tales of the various princesses from Aurora to Rapunzel to Cinderella.  (It was announced that Fairest would also be ending at the same time as the flagship title.)  Willingham has wrote prose stories and the first episode of a new video game series from Telltale Games, The Wolf Among Us, was just released.

Why mention these things?  Well, because I'm sad, and these things give me hope.  Hope that when the series does end, it won't be the last time that I spend with these characters that have been very important to me in the few years.  Also, I'm comforted by the fact that I still have a year and a half before I really have to grieve for the end of this series.

So, how do you guys feel?  Any Fables fans out there?  Let me know in the comments.

Trailer Time: X-Men Days of Future Past

The first trailer for Bryan Singer's return to the X franchise promises epic awesomeness

The X-Men film franchise has had it's fair share of ups and downs.  The first film was a decent introduction to the merry mutants.  It had it's faults, I'm looking at you Halle Berry and you toad and lightning comment.  X2 is still the high water mark for the franchise and one of the best comic book films ever made.  After Singer left, the third movie was helmed by Brett Ratner of Rush Hour fame (?). It was pretty all over the place and there was talk that it may be the last film.  

Well, Twentieth Century Fox was not going to let their cash cow go quietly into that good night.  You know what time it was.  Reboot time!  They hired James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender to play the younger versions of friends turned enemies Xavier and Magneto.  Aside from a terrible wooden performance by January Jones, X-Men First Class was a return to form and a critical and box office hit.  

A sequel was inevitable and fandom let out a cheer when it was announced that not only was Bryan Singer making his triumphant return but he was going to loosely base the story on one of the most famous X-Men stories of all time: Days of Future Past.  Singer was super active on Twitter and announcements came fast and furious.  Cast members past would be returning and new additions would be made.  If you saw The Wolverine this summer, you got the first tease to whet your appetite.  

Now, we have the first official trailer for the film and it is pretty awesome.  We get glimpses of old favorites like Storm, Rogue, Iceman and Kitty Pryde as well as new additions like Bishop, Blink and Peter Dinklage's '70's iteration of Sentinel creator, Bolivar Trask.  It looks like the framework of the comic book story is going to be the same.  Professor X transports Wolverine's mind back to his past body and hijinks ensue.  Seriously.  This trailer is awesome.  McAvoy and his Seventies 'do.  Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique being threatened by Magneto.  I can't do it justice.  Just watch the trailer after the jump and leave your comments.

Once Upon a Time Recap: Clap Your Hands...

Once Upon a Time, Episode 3: "Quite a Common Fairy"

So, first we were introduced to Captain Hook and despite ourselves, we fell in love with this rogue.  Then, we found out all about Never Land and met some creepy, dirty looking Lost Boys.  We saw a shadow that was nothing like the whimsical sword fighting shadow we remembered from our childhood.  We met Peter Pan, a homocidal brat who is threatening our heroine's son.  It was dislike before first sight.  There is just one Never Land character we were missing.  Well never fret.  With this episode, we were introduced to everyone's favorite green fairy.  Yes, Tinker Bell was introduced to the Onceverse.  How did she fare?  What tweaks were made to her origin?  Hit the jump to find out.

Sleepy Hollow Recap: His Name is Moloch

Sleepy Hollow, Episode 4: "The Lesser Key of Solomon"

Sleepy Hollow continued to place it's own twist on history with a spin on what happened at the Boston Tea Party.  We also were able to put a name to this season's big bad.  Moloch is coming, y'all.  So, what went down and what exactly is the lesser key of Solomon?  Find out after the jump.