REVIEW - Spider-Man: Brand New Day

 

I caught Brand New Day the night after release, but only just now found the time to review it. This isn’t such a bad thing, though, as it’s given me time to mull over the film, rather than immediately reacting to the thrill and spectacle. While I don’t agree with some critics who have called this the best Spidey film since 2004’s Spider-Man 2, and certainly not the best Spider-Man film ever (the two Spider-Verse films top the chart for me), this is undoubtedly one of the Wall-crawler’s best outings yet. Personally, I’d put this on a par with 2021’s No Way Home, and while the two films take different approaches to Spider-Man’s adventures, they share the same balance of extraordinary action set pieces and truly heartfelt, emotionally rich performances.

Of course, Brand New Day - which has little in common with the comics arc of the same title, beyond Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man having been forgotten by everyone - exists entirely as a response to the previous film. No Way Home was released over four years ago, and the new movie picks up Peter’s story in roughly real time. While MJ and Ned have graduated from MIT, Peter’s life revolves fully around his vigilante adventures. That’s not to say he hasn’t moved on at all - he’s developed a strong working relationship with Detective DeWolff, even if she doesn’t know his real name - but he is largely isolated and pours everything into his crimefighting.

What strikes at first is how much older the young leads appear. Part of this is, doubtless, down to the fact that they’re playing young adults rather than pretending to be teens, but now that they’re pushing thirty, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, all born in 1996, are distinctly more mature in looks and manner than they were when this started. The characters have grown up over the course of this franchise, which makes it all the more tragic that Peter has had to grow up, essentially, alone. All three put in exceptional performances, with Zendaya in particular dominating her scenes, which seem to take up much more of the runtime than the twenty minutes or so they actually do. The fact that she can hide her chemistry with her husband is remarkably impressive. Holland, luckily for him, doesn’t have to hide how besotted he is with Zendaya, meaning he has to impress us with every other aspect of his performance. His Peter Parker is at once more assured, more in control, and yet more vulnerable and fragile than ever before.

Another remarkably impressive element both of Destin Daniel Cretton’s direction and the script from Eric Sommers and Chris McKenna is that this is an incredibly busy story, filled with various heroes and villains, and yet never feels overstuffed. Holland’s Spider-Man shares screentime with both Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, with Sadie Sink also taking on a major role. (Now that Firestar is finally in the MCU… no, not really, but I won’t spoil her role here. To be honest, if you’ve got a solid idea of who she might be playing, you’re probably right.) Florence Pugh even makes a brief but memorable appearance as Yelena Belova, now in a more supervisory role. In spite of the various crossover characters, most of whom straddle the hero/antagonist divide, Spider-Man never feels like he’s sharing the spotlight; Holland never feels like part of an ensemble. The only other superhero film that’s truly pulled off this balancing act is last year’s Superman, and it’s a very tricky job.

Much of this is down to the strong but gracious performances of the other cast members. Bernthal, in particular, impresses as a somewhat toned-down but still accurate version of Punisher, Frank Castle, whose fractious relationship with Spider-Man is great to finally see in live action. Sadie Sink is, to the surprise of absolutely no one, staggeringly good in her role. It’s wonderful to see Severance’s Trammell Tillman as Damage Control head honcho Bill Metzger, and it doesn’t detract from his performance at all that the character is so obviously villainous. 

For Spidey fans of my vintage, there are a lot of nicely nostalgic elements. We only get hints of Peter’s mutation into Man-Spider here, which is perhaps a shame for those of who wanted a full remake of Neogenic Nightmare from the 90s animated series, but there really wasn’t room for the film to go down that route. While it seems that Peter is able to control his new mutation eventually by embracing it, there’s also the potential for more developments down the line. It’s great to see Michael Mando return as Mac Gargan, having been set up as a new villain way back in Homecoming in 2017, now sporting the full biomechanical armour of the Scorpion. It’s a shame Tombstone only gets the briefest of cameos, but we can’t give everyone a plotline.

Brand New Day sets up a number of potentially very important elements for the MCU as it moves forward Avengers: Doomsday and whatever lies beyond the Multiverse-crashing events of this phase’s finale. Whether these will all be followed up, or whether some threads will be left dangling, as so may have been in the past, remains to be seen. Unlike so many of the later MCU movies, though, Brand New Day feels like it can comfortably stand alone, even as a sequel and the potential start of a new Spider-Man trilogy. A top-tier superhero film starring an actor at the absolute top of his game.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

 

I will attempt to keep this review fairly spoiler-lite, as while I'm eager to gush about all the wonderful things in this film, it's also one where much of the fun comes in spotting and experiencing things for the first time. If you haven't seen it yet, and you're not certain whether you'll bother to go, I say: go see it. If you're in any way a Spider-Man fan, you will love this movie. Somehow, Phil Lord and his team have managed to make a sequel that is superior to the original, which was already the best Spider-Man movie of all time.

Lord is the only one on the lead team who's come back for this one, again acting as chief writer. He's joined by his film-making parter Christopher Miller, who was credited as one of the many producers last time, and Ant-Man and Zombieland scripter Dave Callaham. There's a completely new se of directors, with Joaquim dos Santos and Kemp Powers making their directorial debuts after much animation experience, and jined by Justin Thompson. That seems like a risk, when the first film came together so perfectly, but this large team, supported by biggest animation armies in western cinema history, has created a stunning sequel.

The first film could only do so much, with so many characters and universes coming together, so certain elements went underused. This film corrects some of that. Hailee Steinfeld's Gwen Stacy gets as much focus as Shameik Moore's Miles Morales, and their hints of romance are expanded and explored this time round. It's a paradox that raising the female lead to equal status and giving her a full story of her own sits comfortably with making her a love interest, as so often female characters get to be lover or hero, and rarely both. 

This strong character focus also benefits Miles's parents, Jeff and Rio (Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Velez) and new player Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099 (Oscar Isaac), although Peter B. Parker, Miles's mentor from the first film (voiced by Jake Johnson) gets less focus than in the first. Still, he's clearly living his best life, having made up with MJ, now balancing his Spider-duties with fatherhood (I especially loved these bits, having had the tricky business of balancing filmgoing with looking after a wriggly nine-month-old. Thank you, Suz, for taking this one and letting me see the whole film!)

CAUTION - YOU ARE HEADING INTO THE SPOILER-VERSE

After the first film expanded to include six main Spideys, plus a couple of cameos, the only way to go was to make this bigger and better. The original Spider-Verse comic event (and its increasingly overblown and unnecessary follow-ups) made the most of their limitless scope by including just about every Spidey you could think of, and inventing several more. Across the Spider-Verse follows this lead and goes absolutely nuts. Some are major characters, such as the beloved Pavitr Prabakhar (Karan Soni) aka Spider-Man India, and Hobie Brown, here a British version of the Spider-Punk (an exceptional vocal performance by Daniel Kaluuya, whose retro-anarchist insights are frequent highlights of the film). Others have less screentime but remain important, particularly Spider-Byte (Amandla Stenberg), whose virtual reality abilties are significant and I suspect will play a larger part in the third film.

Beyond that, there are dozens of cameos, both visual and vocal, which I am certain I have barely even begun to uncover. This is a film that will benefit from freeze-framing at home in the future. The uber-angsty Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg!) is probably the funniest, while I was very pleased to hear Josh Keaton, returning as the beloved hero of the Spectacular Spider-Man series. Once the Miles is brought to the Spider-Society, the floodgates really do open. There are good guides out there to all the many, many cameos and Easter eggs in the film, but it's more fun to try spotting them yourself. Then you have the live-action sequences as well, just enough to bring everything together (albeit the Sony-owned films)

Into the Spider-Verse was a visual extravaganza, and Across surpasses it. This is quite simply the most brilliantly and beautifully animated film I've ever seen. Not only does each of the main universe have its own style of artwork and animation, it's raised to a level of complexity and originality way beyond what we've seen before. Spider-Punk's style might be the most striking, a constantly changing array of design schools heavily influenced by scrappy, underground artwork. The use of colour in this film is just stunning, not only for how visually rich and engaging it makes the film, but how it tells the story. Gwen's world is infused with stripes in the trans colours, heavily suggesting a deeper meaning to her story and her father's acceptance (although I missed the blatant trans flag badge on Captain Stacy's jacket). When Miles shifts to Earth-42, purple and green suddenly become prominent, notably in his own clothes, hinting at the eventual surprise (albeit very well signposted) ending.

The decision to use the Spot as the main villain is inspired. As well as being one of the most visually arresting villains in Spider-Man's rogues gallery, his ability to create holes into another dimension is clearly only a step away from reality jumping. Jason Schwartzman is great in the role, perfectly handling the comedy and tragedy of the character. The fact that the Spot is normally such a lightweight villain makes this work perfectly, with even the heroes dismissing him until it's too late. Plus, it's revealed that his existence is very much Miles's fault (albeit unwittingly), as is the threat to Pavitr's reality and the Multiverse altogether.

For all the incredible visuals and fan-pleasing elements, the reason Across the Spider-Verse works so well is that the writers recognise that none of this matters without a strong story. Indeed, story is a fundamental theme of the script, with Miles, Gwen, Miguel et al being made painfully aware of their status as characters in a larger narrative, one which has predestined their fates and can't be fought with. From Gwen's reluctance to become involved with Miles because she knows what happens to Gwens in Spider-Man stories, to Peter B's acceptance of Uncle Ben's death as essential for his and other Spiders' lives as heroes, acceptin or fighting against ones pre-written fate is the core of the story. 

The concept of Canon Events is basically identical to the fixed points in time from Doctor Who... which eventually showed that these points aren't so fixed at all, even if changing them can have catastrophic consequences. That era of the show also gave us the beautiful line, "We're all stories in the end. Just make yours a good one." Miles vows to do exactly that, fighting against the ending fate has written him, while wrestling with the revelation that this wasn't supposed to be his story in the first place. He fights to do what's right, to protect the people he loves, in spite of the entire Multiverse standing against him. It's a brilliant way of keeping his story focused and personal while the overarching plot is beyond the cosmic, something that's key to it still working as a Spider-Man story. 

From the very beginning, though, the filmmakers realised that all this was too big to fit into one film, so, even at almost two-and-a-half hours, Across the Spider-Verse is only halfway through its story. Ending on a pitch perfect cliffhanger, it leaves the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse in a daunting position. Surely they can't outdo themselves again?

Thoughts and observations

• The nods to the MCU were fun, even though rights presumably prevented them from using any actual material. Particularly nice was the inclusion of Miles's best friend Ganke, poking fun at the nature of his MCU equivalent Ned.
• Donald Glover - the original template for Miles and his voice on Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors - returns as the MCU version of Aaron Davis, following his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
• As well as the comic event Spider-Verse and the earlier Spider-Men series, these films owe a debt to USWW, which first gave us alternative Spider-worlds with their own signature animation and art styles.
• Spot's exploration of alternative Earths is fun, but his arrival in the "Sony Spider-Man Universe" - you know, the one with no actual Spider-Man in it - is a bit pointless, seeming to exist purely to remind viewers that Sony is still releasing those films for some reason.
• Preston Mutanga's Lego-verse sequence is a highlight. Hats off to the filmmakers for reaching out to him and offering him the chance to be involved.
• Every version of J. Jonah Jameson is voiced by J. K. Simmons, and frankly I'm not sure anyone else can play him ever again.
• The papery, Rennaissance version of the Vulture is a brillaint addition, even if he does get rather forgotten about as the story gets going.
• Characters I want to see more of in the final film: Spider-Byte, Issa Rae's  version of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, and the horsebound hero the Web-Slinger.
• Characters to bring into it: Hobie Brown as the original Prowler, just to complicate matters.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: No Way Home

OUR SPOILER-SENSE IS TINGLING!

Review after the break! 

Thoughts on the Disney/Marvel announcements

 Disney has just emptied a bucketload of new series and film announcements onto the internet to gear everyone up for the next phase of its media empire. Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new wave of Star Wars properties and more, there's a lot to take on, but he's my thoughts on the MCU revelations. (I'll get to Star Wars eventually, but I'm not even up to date on The Mandalorian yet. However, really suspicious of the idea of bringing back Hayden Christiansen.)

MARVEL PHASE 4

She-Hulk: Confirmed to be starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, this will be a Disney+ series. I was hoping for Gina Camaro, but Maslany is a solid choice (presumably the She-Hulk herself will be at least partly CGI). No surprise that Mark Ruffalo will be appearing as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, but very surprised and pleased that Tim Roth is back as Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination. He was the best thing about The Incredible Hulk back in 2008.

Secret Invasion: Good news, but no surprise. The involvement of the Skrulls in Captain Marvel and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos pretending to be Nick Fury all pointed to the Secret Invasion storyline coming to fruition. Presumably this will have an impact on the films in time, but for now, this is another Disney+ series. Marvel have tried to tie together their TV and cinematic productions before to limited success, but this looks like a far more sophisticated effort. Mendelsohn and Sam Jackson both confirmed back for this.

Ironheart: The occasionally controversial (for small-minded people) new Iron Man comic treatement, Ironheart features Riri Williams as a young genius who creates her own biomechanical armour suit. The Disney+ series will star Dominique Thorne. Could be well worth watching.

Armor Wars: Less interested by this one. Do we need both? This has Don Cheadle back as Rhodey/War Machine dealing with the fallout from Stark's death when his technology falls into unscrupulous hands. Should be good, but just not sure these need to be separate series.

I am Groot: This sounds very silly: a series of Disney+ shorts revolving around Baby Groot, with "new and unusual characters." Could be a good chance to involve the more ridiculous and out-there ideas from the Marvel universe (Howard the Duck please!) No word on whether Vin Diesel will voice Groot.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: Now this is just fabulous. Prior to the third Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2023 (finally confirmed to have James Gunn onboard without a doubt), this is a wonderfully daft thing to do. A homage to the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special, this is bound to be all kinds of ridiculous. Lined up for 2022, presumably for Christmas unless they bring it forward for a Thanksgiving drop.

Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel 2

Really looking forward to this one. I adored the first couple of runs of Ms. Marvel comics, and I'm stoked to see her on screen. Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan, and from the brief glimpse here, she seems perfect. She'll also appear with Ms. Marvel's idol in Captain Marvel 2, confirmed to star Brie Larson (so much for the stupid rumours that she was being recast), with Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau.

What If? and Loki

Not going to overload this post with videos, but here's the link to the dazzling trailer for What If? and a fun first look at the Loki series. Both are set for Disney+ next year, dealing with the MCU's expansion into the Multiverse. What If? looks particularly fun, with some of the best of the MCU cast involved (although clearly not everyone is voiced by their original actor). Hayley Atwell as Captain Britain? The inevitable introduction of Marvel Zombies? I'm in. Loki looks like it's going to embrace the alt-reality elements as well, with the introduction of the Time Variance Agency. A crime thriller with time travel and Tom Hiddleston? Can't go wrong.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

This is going to be fabulous, but the news today is the casting: Rachel McAdams is returning as Christine Palmer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo and Benedict Wong as, well, Wong. We already knew that Elizabeth Olson was onboard as Wanda Maximoff, but the big news is the confirmation that dimension-jumping America Chavez is involved, played by newcomer Xochitl Gomez.

Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania

I love how silly these titles are getting. We expected a third Ant-Man film, but it's good to get confirmation of the title, which implies some exploration of the Quantum Realm, aka the Microverse. It was revealed a little while ago, but I'm still excited for Kang the Conqueror to finally make his big screen debut played by Jonathan Majors.

Fantastic Four

The least surprising but most welcome revelation, the Fantastic Four property is now back with Marvel following Disney's acquisition of Fox. Jon Watts, set to direct the third MCU Spidey film, is on to helm this. No cast news yet, but we can expect some crossover elements, if not with this film, with a follow-up, given the close links in the comics between the FF and Spider-Man, Kang and the Secret Invasion.

Casting round-up!

Almost out of breath now, so a quick rundown of casting news. Hailee Steinfeld is Kate Bishop in the new Hawkeye series on Disney+ (I foresee next gen crossovers with Ironeheart and Ms. Marvel). Hilariously, Christian Bale's role in Thor: Love and Thunder is Gorr the God Butcher, an alien being committed to killing every god in the universe. They won't be recasting T'Challa for the second Black Panther film due in 2022, instead "honouring his legacy." I presume that means a new Black Panther, but I think we can rule out Shuri, since Letitis Wright's in trouble these days for stupid online behaviour.

Spider-Man 3 casting round-up!

Now this is ridiculous and wonderful. The third, as-yet-untitled Spidey film is clearly taking Tom Holland's requested route and piling straight into a live-action Spiderverse story. Presumably they got sick of him spoilering things in interviews so just went with his idea from the outset. Holland is confirmed, of course, along with Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon and Marisa Tomei. But there's also official confirmation that Jamie Foxx is back as Electro (from The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and now Alfred Molina as Doc Ock (from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2). Emma Stone is in negotiations to return as Gwen Stacy, and rumour has it that Andrew Garfield, Tobye Maguire and Kirsten Dunst have been approached to reprise their version of Spider and MJ. Plus Benny Cumber as Dr. Strange, presumably handling the interdimensional stuff.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Far From Home

Trailers for Far From Home were careful to avoid spoilers, even giving warnings about spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, from Tom "King of the Spoilers" Holland, of all people. This review, on the other hand, contains spoilers, so it's after the break.

REVIEW: Avengers - Endgame

And so, I finally begin to catch up with not only my viewing, but also my reviewing, of the many sf and superhero extravaganzas (extravaganzae?) to hit the screens.

Endgame is less a movie, more a cultural event; the culmination of eleven years of cinematic material designed to draw a line under the first iteration of perhaps the most successful film franchise in history. It's the sort of film that can't be appreciated alone; much of the experience comes from seeing and discussing it with like-minded friends. As such, this review is going to be slightly different, as my lovely partner-in-crime Suzanne and I chat about the film (in reality, we've been chatting about it for days with various other people as well, but this sums it up nicely).

And obviously, if you still haven't seen it, there are SPOILERS after this break.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

After a very busy Christmas and New Year where I lacked any time to visit the cinema, I've finally managed to see Into the Spider-Verse, on the last weekend it was showing in my area. I'm very pleased that I managed to catch it - it's bloody brilliant.

I've seen seven Spider-Man movies - nine if you count Civil War and Infinity War - and Into the Spider-Verse is inarguably the best of them. Into the Spider-Verse is a new avenue for Spider-Man on film; while there have been numerous animated series (which I took a look at a while back), this is the first time an animated feature has been made starring Spidey. It seems bizarre that it's taken so long for a studio to make this, given how perfectly suited Spider-Man is to the animated format. And it's funny that it took Sony's heel-turn on the Spidey front, suddenly dropping all their plans and building bridges with Marvel, to make this happen. If Marvel hadn't rebooted the Spider-Man franchise for the second time in fifteen years, it's doubtful that the proposed animated series would have received the heartfelt backing that it did. Sony have poured a lot of money into this, while allowing its creators a lot of leeway to build a new Spider-Man franchise in their own vision.

The first thing to notice is that this is a visually spectacular film. With a combination of 3D computer-animated techniques and hand-drawn artwork, the film has a unique visual style. It's the closest thing to actually watching a comicbook onscreen, with the sheer relentless action of superhero comics faithfully reproduced. This is no stilted motion comic; the action scenes are frenetic but always completely clear and easy to follow, while the design of Spider-Man's New York is stylistically striking and alive.

It's also doubtful that, without Marvel recasting Peter Parker and incorporating him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony would have elected to bring a film starring Miles Morales to the big screen. Not that Parker's absent - very much the opposite, there are several of him - but this is very much Miles's film, and rightly so. A young mixed race character heading a superhero movie is still a big deal, even nearly twenty years after Miles was introduced in the Ultimate Spider-Man line. The film takes after the comic series origin story heavily, with the original Spider-Man of Miles's world, a blonde-haired Peter Parker (voiced by Chris Pine in a starry cameo) killed in action and Miles taking on his mantle after he, too, is bitten by the traditional radioactive spider.

Beyond this, though, it's the relatively recent Spider-Verse crossover event that informs the storyline. Spider-Verse, and its Edge of Spider-Verse support titles, created an epic multiversal adventure that actually worked, bringing together disparate versions of Spider-Man from different quantum realities to fight alongside each other. For all the sweet nods to the past and outrageously geeky moments, though, the Spider-Verse event was a fairly grim affair. Into the Spider-Verse is anything but. Although it has its share of heartbreaking and devastating moments, played with real sincerity, it's ultimately a hopeful and good-natured film, and a tremendously funny one at that.

Which is exactly right, since Miles is an optimistic and hopeful character. He's perfectly portrayed here, voiced by Shameik Moore with a youthful cockiness and charm that hides the totally believable insecurity of a young teen. (Somehow, Moore is twenty-three yet completely sells as a character nearly ten years younger.) Brilliantly, Miles is counterpointed with a version of Spider-Man who has lost that confident, optimistic personality. For years I've thought that the perfect screen treatment for Miles would be to have Parker acting as a mentor, an elder Spider-Man introducing his young protege not only to heroism but also to audiences who may not be aware there has ever been another Spider-Man. Peter B. Parker - the alternative reality version, voiced the very likeable Jake Johnson - is both the recognisable Spider-Man of previous film treatments and also a washout. This isn't like the comics continuity in which Parker's marriage and success were retconned in a dubious storyline, but a very believable story of someone whose marriage failed and who couldn't quite get his life back on track afterwards. It's a Peter Parker who's given up, and who needs Miles to reawaken his optimism, and god, don't we all need a Miles sometimes.

As the spine of the story, it works brilliantly, with real affection between Peter B. and Miles. However, Miles's other relationships are equally important, with his father Jefferson Davis (Bryan T. Henry) and uncle Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali) being the two most significant figures in his life, pulling him in opposite directions. On the one side, he has his father's lawful but overbearing influence as a member of the PDNY (this universe's New York police force); on the other, his uncle's more accepting nature but criminal tendencies. Somewhere in the middle is how to be a superhero, and how to be himself. A lot of superhero films combine the coming-of-age story with the superhero origin, but few pull it off so well.

Of course, the fun really starts when more alternative Spiders turn up. The Spider-Verse comics had hundreds of them, but the film settles for a team of six (plus the odd sneaky cameo). The Earth-65 version of Gwen Stacey, aka Spider-Woman aka Spider-Gwen, was created for the Spider-Verse event but immediately proved so popular she was granted her own title. Hailee Steinfeld, who appears to be very much an up-and-coming star, is hugely charismatic in the role. Introduced at the same time was Peni Parker, a Japanese girl from a manga-esque universe who is bonded to a giant robotic battlemachine named SP//dr, which is somehow ludicrous, frightening and adorable at the same time. Peni is voiced by Kimiko Glenn, while none other than Nicolas Cage plays Spider-Man Noir, perfectly cast as the 1930s gumshoe version of Peter Parker. Rounding it off is John Mulaney as Peter Porker, aka The Spectacular Spider-Ham, a talking pig from a universe of cartoon animals who has become one of the most enduringly beloved and most ridiculous characters in the franchise.

Miles, Peter B, Gwen, Peni, Noir and Ham must prevent the Kingpin - horrifically gigantic and brilliantly played by Leiv Schreiber - from destroying the multiverse in a misguided attempt to get his family back. The Kingpin is aided by several villains, including a nightmarish version of the Scorpion, a genuinely unsettling version of the Prowler and a weirdly sexy female Doc Ock (Kathryn Hahn). It's during the hero-on-villain battles that the action impresses most, but the greatest moments visually are when the universes overlap, creating psychedelic vistas of multiple New Yorks (filled with plenty of wonderful, blink-and-you'll-miss-them jokes). The different Spiders have their own visual styles too, with the best being Spider-Man Noir's monochrome look, complete with Letratone dots for shading.

For all the zaniness and spectacle, though, where Into the Spider-Verse really impresses is in its wit and its heart. I'm pleased to read that already a sequel and a spin-off are already being planned (the latter finally giving Sony a way to work in its all-female hero team concept), because the Spider-Verse is an idea that can launch in so many directions while never invalidating the main, live-action Spider-Man's world. An absolute triumph.


Thoughts:

Several of the voice actors have played other Marvel heroes or villains in previous productions. Nic Cage was the big screen Ghost Rider; Liev Schreiber was Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Zoe Kravitz (Mary Jane) was Angel Salvadore in X-Men: First Class and Mahershala Ali was Cottonmouth in the first Luke Cage series. Oscar Isaac, Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse, also plays a major character in a post-credits cameo, as does the late Stan Lee. Lee also appears as a version of himself in a genuinely moving cameo in the main film.

Further Spiders I'd love to see in future films include Peter Parquagh, the Spider from Marvel 1602; Jessica Drew as the classic Spider-Woman; Anya "Arana" Corazon; Pavitr Prabhakar, the Indian Spider-Man; Spider-Punk and Spider-UK. And definitely the Toei tokusatsu Spider-Man and his giant robot-spaceship Leopardon.

There's also a serious need for an animated Spider-Ham to appear in a live-action Spider-Man movie. Seriously, how do we make this happen?

REVIEW: Venom (2018)

This review will include spoilers. Isn't Spoiler the name of a symbiote? Sounds like it should be.

I'm still surprised this film even exists. After over a decade in development hell, with successive attempts at both standalone films and franchise entries, Venom finally arrives on the big screen. Bizarrely, after all this time, Sony fast-tracked this production, which suffered from considerable last minute rewriting and heavy editing in post-production. Unfortunately, it really shows. Tom Hardy says that the best forty minutes ended up on the cutting room floor, so just possibly, there was a good film here before it was hacked apart.

It's not that Venom isn't entertaining. It's pretty OK when just approached as mindless fun, which is fair enough, and I can imagine sticking this on Netflix to watch with a beer or two in future. Nonetheless, this is a hard film to love. There are two major, fundamental problems: firstly, no doubt due to all the last minute monkeying around, is the sheer incoherence of the plot; secondly, there's a crippling inconsistency of tone.

To address the first issue, it's painfully clear that rewrites and re-edits were made with very little consideration to the overall plot. While we're used to early trailers showing somewhat different versions of scenes than those that eventually appear in the final cut, there are scenes with Venom that have completely different dialogue dubbed over them. Some of the scenes, such as the closing moments which see Eddie pop to his local convenience store only to unleash Venom on a thug who's robbing the place, seems to have been moved from much earlier in the film. There are baffling changes in character motivation, with only the slimmest explanation, if any.

To begin with, the film starts out as a fairly earnest sci-fi thriller, with the extraterrestrial symbiotes being used as the basis for new biologically-altering treatments to allow colonisation of other planets. Lead scientist/businessman Carlton Drake is well portrayed by Riz Ahmed, and has a clear motivation, as someone who believes his own hype and whose ambition has overreached his morality. He very quickly descends to become a moustache-twirling villain, though, viciously sending people to their deaths because, well, that's what villains do.

Tom Hardy does everything he can as Eddie Brock, a reporter who is determined to expose corruption and illegal activity regardless of what he's assigned to do. It inevitably bites him in the ass, he loses his job and his fiance and his swanky apartment, dragging him down into apathy and depression. This characterisation, held up by Hardy's performance, is about the only believable element of the film. Hardy convinces both as the swaggering, cocky early version of Eddie, and the broken, isolated version later, giving him a likeable everyman quality in both periods.

A series of unlikely events see the Venom symbiote fuse with Eddie, and unfortunately it's once Venom comes on the scene that things go south. Venom works Eddie like a puppet, except where he's speaking to him and goading him on. Venom's never been the most consistently explained character in comics, and while the final act sees the man and the alien unify into a working duo, there's no consistency concerning how much control Eddie has on his actions. Venom works well when it's a force that emphasises the worst aspects of a person, and can be an antihero that is always on the edge of going too far. Given Eddie's disillusionment in the film, there'd be a lot to work with here, both in his isolation from humanity and his rediscovery of his need to do good. There's no sense of any of that, barring a couple of hastily appended lines to set up a sequel.

The symbiote is also killing Eddie, except when it's suddenly not, for vaguely defined reasons. Drake is possessed by his own symbiote, because the symbiotes can only bond with those they are compatible with, except when the plot needs otherwise. He then moves from moustache-twirling villain to unstoppable killing machine villain, becoming a bigger, nastier version of Venom, and it turns out the symbiotes are now invading. Then Venom decides he likes the Earth and being stuck on Eddie, so he's a good guy now and is going to save the world.

Meanwhile, we have a few supporting characters. Michelle Williams plays Anne Weying, Eddie's fairly unsympathetic ex-fiance. She's surprisingly bad in it, but in all fairness she has very little to work with. There's also a brief moment where she becomes She-Venom (which is basically Venom, but with tits), but this is, thankfully, fleeting. Her new boyfriend is Dan, played by Reid Scott, who's a surgeon and is instrumental in keeping Eddie alive in the bit of the plot when the symbiote is killing him. Pleasingly, there's virtually no rivalry or animosity between them, since they're actually both pretty decent guys who could probably do better than Anne. Jenny Slate is pretty brilliant as Dr. Skirth, a scientist working for Drake who takes a stand against his amoral actions, a character that I'd actually have liked to spend some time with. Unfortunately, she doesn't last long.

I was never quite convinced that Venom could carry a film completely divorced from Spider-Man, since so much of the character depends on their antagonistic relationship, but the set-up used here could work if they'd actually had the guts to go for it. It's pretty clear that early intentions were for an R-rated film, allowing genuine bloodshed and selling the horror side of the concept. Instead, Sony bizarrely opted to make the film a PG-13 (it's rated 15 in the UK), neutering it and leeching most of the power of the concept. Again, you could do a Spider-Man film and introduce the more family-friendly version - this is a kids' cartoon character after all - or you could let rip and make it stand on its own as an adult-oriented superhero film. To start with the latter and then cut the film apart to try to try to make it into the former, in the apparent hope that it could lead to crossovers with Marvel movies in the future, was always doomed to failure.

As it is, we end up with an entertaining but dimwitted mess, that has no clear idea of what kind of film it is or who it's aimed at. By the end, it feels almost like Men in Black, only without the humour. At least Woody Harrelson's cameo as Cletus Kasady has promise.

REVIEW: Avengers - Infinity War

You've seen it, right? If not, go see it first. This review contains SPOILERS and SPECULATION.

Comics to Screen: Spider-Man: Homecoming observations and spoilers

Spider-Friends!

Liz would appear to be the MCU's version of both Liz Allen, one of Peter Parker's many romantic interests in the comics, and Valeria Toomes, daughter of the Vulture. Liz was the primary live interest of Parker in the Spectacular Spider-Man's first TV season., where she was portrayed as mixed race rather than the comics' traditional apple pie American blonde. In the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, Liz becomes Firestar, the superhero who was part of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Sony was previously planning a spin-off movie featuring a team of female superheroes, and while it looks like this has been cancelled, if it ever gets the go-ahead again, Firestar would be a likely inclusion. Liz also has links to Flash, Ned and Harry Osborn in the comics, and is the stepbrother of the villain Molten Man, although she doesn't appear to have any siblings in this version. Valeria Toomes tries to distance herself from her father's activities in the comics, and eventually works for SHIELD. Again, it's easy to see this becoming part of the narrative if the character returns to the MCU in the future.

Michelle Jones likes to be known as MJ, confirming that she is the equivalent of Mary Jane Watson, albeit as a new and very different character. While she doesn't have much in common with Peter Parker's girlfriend and sometime wife, she does act as an observer character keeping him on his toes in the same way, and making her MJ hints very strongly that the two of them will get together in the future of the MCU. I'd lay good money that the next Spidey film will see them develop something of a romance, but will also introduce Gwen Stacey (or an equivalent character) to complicate matters.

Donald Glover plays petty criminal Aaron Davies, and mentioned having a nephew in the borough. That nephew is Miles Morales, the second Spider-Man of the Ultimate Comics universe and currently one of two Spider-Man, along with Parker, in the mainline Marvel comics. Glover voices Miles in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, and campaigned to play Spider-Man during the run-up to The Amazing Spider-Man. Director Watts was aware of this and cast Glover in his movie, setting up Miles for potential inclusion in the MCU in future.

Jacob Batalon's character Ned is probably named after of Ned Leeds, a recurring character in the comics, although he has no official last name in the films yet. In the comics, he is a friend and rival of Parker at the Daily Bugle, and is eventually brainwashed to become the third villain known as the Hobgoblin. There is virtually no chance that Ned here is going to live the life of Ned Leeds in the comics, and hasn't much in common with that character. Exec. producer Eric Hauserman Carroll states that Ned is a composite of several characters, but the character he has most in common with is Ganke Lee, best friend of Miles Morales. Ganke goes by the name Ned as an alias.

Spider-Foes!

The criminal called Gargan is best known in the comics as the Scorpion, hinted at, not exactly subtly, by the scorpion tattoos on his neck in the film. The version in the film is based on the Ultimate comics version of the character, who was a petty criminal. As well as being a recurrent villain as the Scorpion, he becomes one of several characters to take on the Venom symbiote, and even acts as Spider-Man for a short time, albeit in a not-very-heroic way. Given that Sony have resurrected their plans for a Venom movie, I think it's highly likely we'll see Gargan as either the Scorpion in the next Spider-Man film, the new Venom, or both. The rights issue is complicated around reusing characters from this film, however.

The film features two versions of classic Spider-Man villain the Shocker, who wields gauntlets that produces sonic shockwaves. In a nice touch, the gauntlets leave a yellow residue on his jacket sleeves which approximates the look of the comic version's costume. Initially it is Jackson Brice, better known as Montana, who wields the gauntlets and the name Shocker, taking the lead from the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, which combines the two characters. He doesn't last long, and is replaced by Herman Schultz, the traditional holder of the title.

Sony's previous Spider-Verse lineup included Sinister Six, which went on the backburner along with much of their plans, in spite of a lot of set-up being included in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, with the Venom movie back on the cards, we might see Sinister Six enter production after all. The Vulture was an original member of the Six, with the Shocker joining the Sinister Six and Sinister Seven at different points. The Scorpion never technically joined the Sinister Six, but Mac Gargan was part of the team during his time as Venom, and he was a member of the equivalent group, the Insidious Six, in the classic 90s Spider-Man cartoon, and a couple of versions of the team in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series. As all three villains survive the events of Homecoming, there's a pretty good chance they'll be in the Six should the movie eventually materialise.

Michael Chernus's character, Phineus Mason, is better known as the Tinkerer, an inventor of great skill who has provided numerous comicbook villains with technology and equipment, and has been affiliated with the Sinister Six, the Ultimate Six and the Masters of Evil in various iterations. In Homecoming, he adapts Crossbones's weaponry into Shocker's gauntlets and creates the Vulture's flying armour from Chitauri and Stark technology. His whereabouts are unconfirmed at the end of the film, so it's a cert that we'll see him again. Odds on he creates the Scorpion suit for Gargan.

Spider-Cameos!

Among the many names listed in the credits are some notable inclusions among Liz's group of friends. Jorge Lendeborg plays Jason Ionello, J. J. Totah is Seymour O'Reilly and Ethan Dizon is Tiny McKeever, all part of the general gang of popular dickheads in classic Spider-Man comics and animated shows. More surprisingly, traditional Parker-love interest Betty Brant is listed, played by 16-year-old Angourie Rice. Betty Brant is normally based at the Daily Bugle during Parker's journalist career, rather than a kid as she is here. Tiffany Espenson plays Cindy, who is likely a reference to Cindy Moon, who has quite recently been introduced as the superhero Silk in the comics, a character who was bitten by the same spider as Parker.

Most of the teachers are basic background Spider-Man characters, but Coach Wilson, played by Hannibal Buress, dates back further, to Stan Lee's 1955 creation Meet Miss Bliss, in the pre-Marvel days. The headmaster of the school, Principal Morita, is seemingly a descendant of Jim Morita of the Howling Commandos, and is played by Kenneth Choi, who played the earlier Morita in both Captain America: The First Avenger and Agents of SHIELD.

Director and producer Kirk Thatcher appears briefly as an ageing punk on the streets, reprising his cameo from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (he's the arsehole on the bus who Spock nerve-pinches). This conclusively proves that the MCU and Star Trek share the same universe.

Some guys just doing their job

Damage Control, the clean-up company here owned, like everything else, by Stark Industries, first appeared in 1988, gaining their own title in 1989. They've appeared several times since then, leading their own comedic adventures while also being significant players in major Marvel Comics events. This is there first appearance in the MCU, although the film makes it clear that they've been doing the hands-on work behind the scenes since Avengers Assemble, although previously we've only seen SHIELD agents cleaning up battle sites. In the comics, the company was initially jointly owned by Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk, and given the timescale here, there's no reason this can't be true of the MCU. It's founded by Anne-Marie Hoag, played here by Tyne Daly, and the character is the current owner of the company in the comics. Two years ago, ABC ordered a pilot for a Damage Control live-action TV series from Ben Karlin, intended as a comedy series set within the MCU, but so far there has been little news on this. Given the appearance of the company in Homecoming, it's quite likely the series will be developed at some point. 

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Marvel and Sony have made friends again, and the fruit of their joint labours is the latest Spider-Man, the sixth of the modern era. (How you count it overall is matter of debate.) Fans sighed a deep cynical sigh when the Spidey cinematic series was rebooted for the second time in about five years, following the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, which was cut short after it failed to pull the crowds as expected. Young Tom Holland became the second Englishman to play Peter "radiaoctive spider-bite" Parker in last year's Captain America: Civil War, which introduced this newest take on a character who first appeared in 1962 and has been swinging across screens for almost as long. Impressively, director Jon Watts and his writing team have managed to create a film that feels both modern and very traditional.

Taking Peter Parker back to high school is the best thing they could have made. Although he didn't spend all that long at school in the comics, there's something right about setting his inaugural adventures during his formative years as a wee fifteen-year-old. Watts has made a very canny choice in his approach, deliberately giving the film the feel of classic John Hughes movies. The language is bluer but the humour less so, but overall there's a definite feeling of The Breakfast Club, with a little hint of Ferris Bueler's Day Off (and some very deliberate references to that last one). On the other hand, the kids deal with very modern problems, no one is ever more than an inch away from their phone, and everything is on YouTube. It's a film for teens that also appeals to anyone who remembers being a teen.

Tom Holland is absolutely spot-on as this younger version of Parker. This is a Parker film more than a Spider-Man one, and it's clear that Watts has more interest in the kid's personal life than his superheroics, but that's to the film's benefit, not it's detriment. We've had plenty of superhero battles lately; it's on its characters that a film like this succeeds or fails. Holland is perhaps the greatest screen Spider-Man we've ever had. He was a big success in Civil War, but it's here that he proves he can hold a feature, indeed a franchise. He gives Parker an easygoing but slightly nervy charm, and easily convinces as a brilliant but uncertain American teenager, in spite of being a 21-year-old Englishman. (Amusingly, Holland attended the Bronx Science High for a short time in preparation of the role, and no one believed he was playing Spider-Man.) He's signed up six films, including three Spider-Man films, so we have two Spideys and two team-ups to look forward to.

Peter Parker is nothing without his supporting cast, though. Spider-Man's story has always been a soap opera, full of love triangles, close friendships, rivalries and complex relationships. Homecoming makes this into one of its greatest strengths. Parker has to balance his "Stark internship" (i.e. his trainee Avenger status), his relationship with his aunt, his friendships and difficulties at school, potential romances, and a ruthless villain who, in classic Spider-Man style, is linked to his life in unexpected ways. It's a tangled web, indeed.

Thankfully, the other players in the film are uniformly excellent. The loudest shout-out has to go to Jacob Batalon as Ned, Parker's best friend and uber-nerdy computer geek, who stumbles upon Parker's secret and spends much of the film squeeing at his role in a superhero narrative. I'd happily watch a Ned spin-off, where he amiably goes about his business thwarting villains with tech smarts and sudden bursts of courage. On the other side, there's Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, who is both Parker's quiz team rival and the popular dickhead of the school. If this sounds an unlikely combination, it is, but it works because of the way this version of Flash is presented. Unlike the traditional football jock, the school bully concept has been updated to the overconfident but maladjusted rich kid, who's always going to get what he wants and doesn't give a shit about anyone else.

This updating and, in some cases, complete rewriting of characters works very well. A case in point being Homecoming's MJ, no longer Mary Jane but Michelle Jones, played by Zendaya. Why she's the main female credit on the film I don't know; apparently she's a big thing in the States. However famous she is, she does a brilliant job of making the sulky outsider MJ into one of the best things of the film. Completely unlike the MJ we know from the comics, rather a new character who is positioned to take her place in the narrative. This MJ has the vibe of Ally Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club (she even goes to detention voluntarily). Some people have, predictably, kicked off about the changes to characters, especially the race changes for the, originally all-white, set-up, but this is a more accurate reflection of how a school in America looks today. And we know that there's a whole Spider-Verse of different versions of Parker and his associates, so there's room for wildly different interpretations of classic characters.

What I don't understand is why she is credited and publicised so much higher than Laura Harrier, who portrays Liz, who is somehow top of both the brainy and popular cliques and Parker's love interest for the movie. Harrier gives a very sweet, likeable performance but isn't a pushover (one thing Spider-Man has long been good at is strong-minded female characters). Again, Liz is a variation on an established comics character, tweaked for this new telling, and forms a vital part of the new ensemble - far more vital than MJ does.

Another fine example of this: Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture. Michael Keaton is exceptional in the role, giving a very real performance as the most three-dimensional villain we've ever seen in a Marvel movie. It's a common complaint that the villains in the MCU are paper-thin, with the notable exception of Loki. Ego was a huge improvement in the recent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but really, neither Loki nor Ego are particularly complex, although they are better characterised than most. Toomes, however, is an ordinary man pushed to extraordinary actions by a events beyond his control. He is a man desperately trying to take back control, for his own sake, and his family's. Both the script and Keaton's performance sell this perfectly, giving us a villain who has a genuine moral code that happens to be at odds with the majority's, a character with actual personality instead of a list of traits. And he is as unlike the life-force sucking Vulture of the comics as he could be.

Toomes is driven to his extreme, extra-legal career by Stark Industries' appropriation of all alien and unfeasible technology that lies around the MCU following the various climactic battles. It's a logical extension of these battles that a salvage industry would develop to take advantage of the repercussions, and equally feasible that the powers that be would try to take this source of profit for themselves. That said powers are wholly or partially responsible for the destruction in the first place is all the more effective. It's a better and more subtle examination of the nature of the 1%, corporate greed and collateral damage than Batman vs. Superman could ever hope to manage. It's also notable that both Keaton's Vulture and his Batman could believably exist in this world (different publishers not withstanding), and would be diametrically opposed to one another. Birdman, of course, is the evolutionary midpoint between the two.

The opposite party to Toomes in Homecoming, then, is Iron Man. Some worried that this was going to be an Iron Man film in all but name, but it's Parker's film through and through. What Stark provides is a mentor figure and provider of hardware, and he's surprisingly mature in both counts. There's finally a sense that Stark has actually learnt from his past mistakes and is trying to make sure others don't make the same, but it's never at the expense of Parker's development. "If you're nothing without the suit, you don't deserve it," becomes this film's version of "With great power comes great responsibility," and it's just as vital to Parker's understanding of his role as hero. And while Stark is the opposite of Toomes and they are pit against each other, they never meet, with their battle for control occurring entirely through the proxy of young Parker.

The only point that the film falls down is the actual battles between Spider-Man and the Vulture. While the action is, for the most part, very impressive, as we've come to expect from Marvel, but the climactic final confrontation is so overly busy that it's almost impossible to tell what's going on. There are flashes on interesting visual effects, but they're rather lost in the maelstrom. There's a sense that the huge battle is only there because of convention, whereas the main dramatic beats have already been dealt with. Still, this is a pretty small complaint for a film that gets so much right.

REVIEW - Captain America: Civil War

SPOILERS INSIDE, TRUE BELIEVERS!

November Comics Round-Up (2)

Spider-Gwen #2 (Marvel) I'm enjoying the glimpses at parallel universe versions of favourite characters, particularly the backstory sketched in for the female Captain America who faces up against Gwen before becoming a tenuous ally. However, there's only so long this idea can hold the attention for, and this series is starting to feel like it's on autopilot. I'll probably drop this and come back to it later to see if anything new is happening.

Web Warriors #1 (Marvel) The ongoing adventures of multiple Spideys, continuing the fun begun in the Spider-Verse event. There's still some fun to be had with the concept, particularly the use of the 60s cartoon universe as a safe training ground for the Warriors (with appropriate nods to the notorious Spidey memes). It follows on from the Ultimate Spider-Man series' take on Spider-Verse by having multiple versions of the same villain - in this case, Electro. Fun, but I feel like this idea might soon have run its course.

All-New, All-Different Avengers #1 (Marvel) I like the racial politics in this, especially since people are actually making a big deal of the ethnic layout of a fictional team of superheroes in the real world. The romance building up between Ms. Marvel and Nova is pretty cute. Overall, though, this isn't especially grabbing me, which is a shame. Between the New, All-New All-Different and Uncanny, there's probably material for a really decent Avengers team and title.

Ultimates #1 (Marvel) The final "Avengers" group, taking on the mantle of the Ultimate universe team, but doing it completely differently (i.e. not shit). The new Ultimates are the great problem-solving team of the universe, facing cosmic weirdness and analysing it to find solutions. Sure, there's ass-kicking - Ms. America is on the team, after all - but this team focuses on solving issues, not destroying them. Their first case: meet Galactus, solve his hunger. It's an ingenious set-up, and on the strength of the first issue, worth carrying on with. Also notable is the colour of the main cast - Captain Marvel is the only white face so far in a team that includes Spectrum, the Blue Marvel, the Black Panther and Ms. America. Plus, a moment to actually ponder the philosophical repurcussions of Marvel's great multiversal reset. Very good indeed.

The Wicked + The Divine #16 (Image) This issue is the weakest in a long time. It's purely an origin story for the Morrigan, and a pretty cliched, uninteresting one at that. I don't think we really need to see each of the gods get their moment of ascension. I enjoyed the, ah, ketchupomancy though.

Ms. Marvel #1 (Marvel) I'm not sure why I ever dropped this. Money, probably. Anyway, this is just a great as it ever was, although now Kamala is part of the Avengers. It works better here, seeing the effects of this on her life, than it does actually in All New, All Different. There's a fine balance between her superheroics and her personal life, adorable artwork, and the phrase "giant weaponized amphibian." I am somewhat baffled as to why Marvel and her fellow New Jersey citizens remember the world sort-of ending while characters in other titles don't. Or do they? I can't follow everything.

Spider-Woman #1 (Marvel) Giving a female hero a pregnancy sounds, on the one hand, like the most stereotypical bad idea ever, but on the other... well, what's the point in having female-driven comics if you can't use them to explore the stories and issues women face? And, in practice, this, the story of Jessica Drew beginning her maternity leave before settling into life as a single mother, is really very good. Particularly as she's been training up the Porcupine to take over the crime-fighting duties while she's off. Jessica's fiercely independent nature makes her an interesting choice for this unexpected development, with everyone running around trying to help out and take care of her. This comic works. The bets bit is Spider-Man's Spidey-sense going off because Iron Man is about to ask who the father is.

The Mighty Thor #1 (Marvel) Spider-Woman isn't the only hero facing life-changing issues. Giving a character a life-threatening illness can be a cheap shot, but this is handled well. The pain of going through chemotherapy is a real one for many people, and I've seen enough of this in real life to call this comic out if it felt cheap. This is written with respect. While Jane Foster can never benefit from her therapy since each transformation into Thor burns the poisons from her system, the cancer remains, killing her. This is set against a sci-fi/fantasy backdrop of corporate greed and cosmic warfare, with some spectacular imagery. Classic Sandman fans could do worse than trying this.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 (Marvel) Just a lovely start to this new title. Jack Kirby's old characters, Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy, are brought back, alongside the absolutely wonderful new kid, hyperintelligent ten-year-old Lunella Lafayette. She's the most adorable, likeable new character since Kamala Khan (and god, that's a team-up I'd love to see some day). Like Ms. Marvel, it's tied in with the Inhumans/Terrigen mist plotline, but Lunella is deliberately avoiding any chance of being exposed. It's a slow beginning but promises to be a wonderful tale for anyone who's ever felt unappreciated - i.e. everyone. And it has a big red T. rex in it.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 (Marvel) Squirrel Girl in the Sixties. Also, Doctor Doom, her first adversary, returns to cause trouble. I wish I could do more to summarise this comic other than just gush about how joyfully daffy it is.

Saga #31 (Image) Saga returns, and it's a pretty good issue, both continuing from precisely where we left Hazel, her grandmother and abductors and catching up with them in captivity months later. While it's still not at the level that Saga used to play at, this is well told and has important things to say about prisoners of war, immigration control, xenophobia and transmisogyny.

Ghostbusters Annual 2015 (IDW) I haven't had a Ghostbusters annual since, what, 1993? What a joy. OK, so this isn't a kids' annual, but a bumper-sized comics issue, but still, this is good fun. The main strip, featuring the Sandman as the villain, works very nicely, tying into the overall storyline. Following that is a bunch of shorts by various artist/writer combos, some of which work well, others not so much. Overall, though, this is a hit.

Casting Call: Marvel Cinematic Universe and X-verse

Anyone looking for my review of the Doctor Who season opener will have to wait till next week; I'll be reviewing the full two-part story in one go.


Loads of casting news for the latest Marvel adaptations has surfaced since I last wrote on the subject, trickling out until the recent flood of Luke Cage details. Deep breath...

Tom Holland
Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Captain America: Civil War, untitled Spidey movie)

No introduction for the character required here. Spidey's latest reboot has been the subject of much anticipation and aggravation since Marvel made their deal with Sony to co-produce the character's outings. 19-year-old Holland was chosen out of many auditioning young actors, and will be playing Spidey a little younger than his actual age, bringing him back to the high school kid he began as. Kevin Feige and the team behind the movies have confirmed that they won't be rehashing the origin story, which is a relief - pretty much everyone knows the origins of Spider-Man anyway now, so it's hardly essential. Considering how late in the day he was cast, Holland's role in Civil War can't be especially large (unlike in the comic crossover it's loosely based on, in which he's an intrinsic central character). Also, the producers have confirmed that Spidey is already swinging around MCU New York (a throwaway line in Ant-Man supports this). What works nicely in this set-up is that he'd have been about twelve when The Avengers took place, so he'll have been inspired by the various supers charging around his version of New York.

Like the previous film Spidey (Andrew Garfield), Tom Holland is a Brit. He's best known for his time in the lead role in Billy Elliot: The Musical, plus screen appearances in The Impossible, Wolf Hall and How I Live Now. His schedule has become a lot busier this last year. We know that after his Spidey debut in Civil War, he'll have at least one movie to himself (officially untitled, but the smart money is on The Spectacular Spider-Man), with two sequels already optioned. It'd be a big surprise to not see him at least briefly alongside the other heroes in Avengers: Infinity War, but the contract between Marvel and Sony stipulates that he can't appear in any TV properties. There are also talks of an animated Spidey movie or two, but it's unknown if any of the screen actors will take up their roles in the voice studio.

Jon Bernthal
Frank Castle/The Punisher (Daredevil s2)

One of Marvel's most popular characters, but not one who's ever really caught on well on film, ruthless vigilante Frank Castle has been played by various actors over the years: Dolph Lundgren in the 1989 Punisher movie, Thomas Jane in the 2004 reboot (and its unofficial short sequel, Dirty Laundry) and Ray Stevenson in 2008's Punisher: War Zone. So this is just the latest of various unrelated attempts to bring the character to the screen (he's also had various animated appearances, including in the 1990s Spider-Man animated series and the rather good anime Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore. The Punisher lacks superhuman abilities but is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant and tactician, who has found himself both fighting with and against various heroes throughout Marvel's comics since his debut in 1974. Jon Bernthal, best known as Shane in The Walking Dead and Joe Teague in Mob City, is an absolutely spot-on choice for the role. We'll see what side of Daredevil's fight he's on when he appears.

Elodie Yung
Elektra Natchios (Daredevil s2)

One of the most popular and important characters in the Daredevil storyline, Elektra is ninja assassin with an almost superhuman proficiency in martial arts. She's been a longtime love interest of Matt Murdock in the comics, but has almost as frequently been set against him, predominantly because he has a strict no-killing rule while she's, well, a professional murderer. Her mercenary nature has led to her aligning herself with various groups over the years, from SHIELD and HYDRA to ninja groups the Chaste and the Hand. With the Hand seemingly set to be a recurring threat in the new Defenders oriented shows, and Murdock's sensei Stick confirmed to return, Elektra's malleable allegiance could lead to some significant conflict. A line in the first series of Daredevil about a Greek student during Murdock's college days strongly implies he's already met Elektra in this storyline.

This is Elektra's second live-action casting, following on from Jennifer Garner's attempt at the role in 2003's middling Daredevil film and its woeful spin-off, the 2005 Elektra movie. French actress Elodie Yung plays Elektra in the next season of the Daredevil series. A martial artist in real life, she's appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Les fils du vent and as Jinx in GI Joe: Retaliation. Not that that's any reason to go and watch that film.

Tilda Swinton
The Ancient One (Doctor Strange)

Once Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One is a Tibetan mystic, born over five hundred years ago, who is responsible for training Dr. Strange to become the Sorceror Supreme of the modern age. In the comics, he is, unsurprisingly, male, but Marvel have surprised everyone by casting English actress Tilda Swinton in the role. As with Baron Mordo (below), this is some inspired casting that totally ignores established racial and gender characteristics in favour of getting some true talent involved. Doctor Strange is looking like it'll have one of the best and most intriguing casts of any comicbook movie for years. The Ancient One's exact origins and characteristics have varied a fair bit over the years, but he's always been an incredibly aged, astonishingly powerful, albeit physically weak, sorcerer. As well as Strange and Mordo, he's been affiliated with such disparate characters as Eternity and the Black Rider, and while powerful now, is nowhere near as formidable as he was in his prime (hence his training of a new Sorcerer Supreme to take his place). Before training Strange, he almost single-handedly kept the Dread Dormammu from invading the Earth, has travelled to many other dimensions, and has continued to be a major force after death.

The Ancient One appeared, in spiritual form, in the 1978 Doctor Strange telemovie, voiced by Michael Ansara. The great Katherine Mathilda Swinton of Kimmerghame is perhaps the only actor living who is sufficiently talented, strange and remarkably unique to play the great sorcerer. Trying to sum up her career here would be a fool's errand, but for comicbook geeks, she was the Archangel Gabriel in the misguided 2005 WB adaptation of Constantine.

Chiwetel Ejiofor
Baron Mordo (Doctor Strange)

One of the great British actors of the current generation, Ejiofor's been attached to this for ages, but only recently has it finally been confirmed that he's playing Baron Mordo. One of Strange's arch-nemeses, Mordo is, in the comics, a Transylvanian of noble birth who was trained by the Ancient One to become Sorcerer Supreme, but was exiled for his treachery. Clearly, casting an Afro-English actor means that the character's origins will be tweaked a little, but the essentials will doubtless remain: Mordo is an incredibly powerful warlock who despises and opposes Strange. His abilities include, but are not limited to, hypnotism, illusionism, the summoning of demons, teleportation, astral projection, martial arts and numerous magical techniques. Plus, of course, he's been studying the magical arts longer than Strange, so he has experience on his side. In his long comics career, he's renounced evil a couple of times, but always been tempted back to the dark side.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is, of course, brilliant, and will bring some pure class to the role. Skiffy fans will know him from Serenity and Children of Men (and there's a rumour going round that he was offered the lead in Doctor Who at one stage), but his greatest roles have been in films such as 12 Years a Slave, American Gangster and Kinky Boots. He also won the Laurence Olivier Award in 2008, making him very probably the best actor to appear in the MCU by a long, long way.

Also confirmed for Doctor Strange is Rachel McAdams, aka Irene Adler in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies, Clare in The Time Traveller's Wife and much, much more. There's no news on who she's playing, but the likelihood is that she's playing Clea, who is both his main love interest and linked closely to the demon Dormammu. There are several other characters she could be playing, though, especially considering the unexpected casting decisions this film is taking.

Mark Willig 
Lash (Agents of SHIELD s3)

Lash is very new character in Marvel comics, having been introduced in the Matt Fraction-penned series Inhuman series in 2014. An Inhuman, but not one of the main society who we normally encounter, Lash grew up in an isolated community where very few are chosen to undergo Terrigenesis and mutate into their Inhuman forms. As well as being physically formidable, Lash has the power to absorb and convert any form of energy and release it as whichever form he chooses, often intense heat. In the Inhuman storyline, Lash searches the world for "Nu-Humans" - humans who have unexpectedly transformed into Inhumans following the worldwide flood of Terrigen mist. Unlike some groups, though, Lash is dedicated to wiping out these people, who he sees as underserving of their transformation. Given the similar events at the end of season two of Agents of SHIELD, we can expect something similar to happen here, although Joss Whedon has expressed that things will not be taken directly from the comics, so there may be some surprises. Mark Willig is fairly new to acting, having had roles in NCIS and Year One among others, and was formerly a career footballer.

Also appearing in the third season of SHIELD are Constance Zimmer as Rosalind Price, an agent for a rival organisation who will cross paths with SHIELD in the hunt for new Inhumans; Juan Pablo Raba as Joey Gutierrez as one such newly transformed Inhuman, and Andrew Howard as Agent Banks, who is also set to be on the hunt for Inhumans.

Simone Missick
Misty Knight (Luke Cage)

Misty Knight is a fan-favourite character, and a big part of the stories of both Luke Cage and Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist. She's just a much a product of the seventies as Cage, being a combination of both blaxploitation cinema tropes and kung fu martial arts flicks. A former police officer, she boasts both detective skills and martial arts prowess; she lost her arm in the line of duty, receiving a bionic arm from Tony Stark that has granted her various enhanced abilities. How much of this will make it to the series in unknown, although if Phil Coulson can come back with a cyber-arm, I don't see why Misty can't. Knight's had romantic and heroic partnerships with both Cage and Rand (the latter of which has still not been cast), so she's bound to be a major part of not just the Luke Cage series, but the Iron Fist and Defenders series as well. Simone Missick is a fairly new face on screen, but she absolutely looks the part. Playing Misty's police partner Rafael Scarfe is Frank Whaley, who's had minor to middle roles in more or less everything in the last twenty years or so.

Theo Rossi
Hernan Alvarez/Shades (Luke Cage)

Shades was one of the cons sharing Luke Cage's cell during his time, and like Cage, suffered abuse at the hands of those in authority. Since he got out, the Dominican-born Shades has struggled to stay straight, acting on both sides of the law, and as both friend and enemy to Cage. At one point, he acquired a technologically-enhanced visor that allowed him to fire optic blasts (rather like Cyclops in X-Men). In latter stories, he's mostly, but not always, been on the side of right. His son, Victor Alvarez, developed some of the powers of Iron Fist when he absorbed the chi of over a hundred people in the disaster that killed Shades; with the new abilities he displayed, he took on the name Power Man, formerly used by Luke Cage. While I'm not convinced we'll see Shades blasting people with his super-sunnies on TV, I'd be surprised if Victor isn't introduced, if only as a kid. Sounds like Shades will be very much still a street criminal in this version, we shouldn't assume there's no chance for redemption. Theo Rossi has appeared in many popular shows, but is best known for his role as Juice in Sons of Anarchy .

Mahershala Ali
Cornell "Cottonmouth" Strokes (Luke Cage)

A powerful drug lord in New York, Cottonmouth was involved in the drugs sale that framed Luke Cage and led to his incarceration. A man with many enemies, he's been a target of  the Hand as well as Cage and his allies. At one point ending up with all is teeth shattered, he got them replaced with razor-sharp gold caps, and has enhanced strength in certain storylines too. Actor Mahershala Ali is familiar from The 4400, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Predators. Also cast is Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard, Cottonmouth's cousin who intends to run for office and bring change to Harlem. Woodard is a familiar face with years of screen roles behind her, most recently 12 Years a Slave and Annabelle, but is best known to genre fans for appearances in K-PAX, The Forgotten and Star Trek: First Contact.

Andre Tricoteux
Piotr Rasputin/Colossus (Deadpool)

It's confirmed that actor and stuntman Andre Tricoteux will be taking over the role of metal-plated Russian mutant Colossus in February's highly anticipated Deadpool movie. The character was previously played by Daniel Cudmore in X2, X3: The Last Stand and Days of Future Past.

Léa Seydoux
Bella Donna Boudreaux (Gambit)

The latest casting news for the Gambit  movie has confirmed that French actress Léa Seydoux will be co-starring with Channing Tatum, and although it's not been officially confirmed, it's accepted that she'll be playing Bella Donna Boudreaux, otherwise known simply as Belladonna. A mutant like Gambit, Belladonna has the ability to shoot energy blasts and to astrally project. She shares a long, complex history with Gambit in the comics, and it can be expected she'll be a combination of romantic interest and villain in the movie. Léa Seydoux is  a major rising star in Hollywood, soon set to appear in the Bond flick SPECTRE, having had previous English language credits in Inglourious Basterds and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Her most acclaimed performance is alongside Adele Exarchopoulos in the French graphic novel adaptation Blue is the Warmest Colour (aka La Vie d'Adele), an award-winning romantic drama.