Black Hammer 7-11, 13
So yeah, I picked this up at the bookstore today. That I did it on a business trip makes it feel more shameful, for some reason. Why isn’t issue 12 in the trade? Looking...can’t find an official reason, but it was a backstory issue. Don’t know how that’s a reason, though. This title is also on hiatus until its relaunch in April 2018. Sure. It’ll give me some time to think more about it.
The second trade is more of the same, high quality stuff, but I may have been hasty in buying it; As good as it is, I don’t think I need to reread it again. I mean, I would, but it doesn’t seem like the kind of title I’d ever feel like reading out of the blue. I fall into this trap sometimes where I get started with a new series and plow through the available trades more because I want to find out what happens next, not because it’s re-read material. (Deadly Class is the most recent example that I can think of.) No regrets, I’m fine with giving Jeff Lemire my money for this story, but let this be a cautionary tale. I could have borrowed this from the library or read it at Barnes and Noble and been just as happy. And 20 bucks richer. Which is what I’ll do with the next trade.
Black Panther movie
I watched this last night at an Alamo Drafthouse. It’s my second time at one, and I’m sad to say I’m not the biggest fan. The servers are distracting in the middle of the movie, and eating while I watch on the big screen diverts my attention as well. I don’t think I need to go back to one again. Like with 3D films.
My initial reaction to the movie was that it wasn’t as good as the the hype. While I didn’t read any reviews beforehand, the headlines I saw all trumpeted this as a Marvel Masterpiece. I did not agree. It has a ton of amazing moments, but as a movie, it did not elevate itself above my favorites from the studio - Cap 2 and 3, Avengers 1, Spider-Man Homecoming. The plot was still boilerplate - Hero is knocked down from his lofty perch by an antagonist who wants to see the world burn, must regain his position.
I loved all the women. Sister, General, Partner, Mother. As NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour stated (pretty sure it was them), every one of them could carry their own franchise. I would pay to see all of them. (They’re all more interesting characters than T’Challa, let’s be honest.) I so much want to see Shuri as Ironheart in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I love Riri in the comics, but Letitia Wright would KILL IT.
The action scenes were generally sub par. (The final fight between T’Challa and Killmonger was a CGI-fest no better than the one in Justice League.) The car chase scene was pretty good, but the trailers unfortunately gave away all the good bits. On the plus side, watching the Dora Milaje kick ass was always fun. And battle rhinos!
Killmonger. He was a few writing decisions away from being one of the MCU’s great villains. I was so ready to be on his side, but he had to screw it up by being just a little too evil. And his final plan of mass weapons distribution was ill-conceived. Other than that, his message of sharing Wakandan tech to make the world a better place and help the oppressed was one I could get behind, and echoed the sentiments of Nakia. Played just a little less militantly, Killmonger could have been so much more.
So that was last night. Today, I got into a number of discussions about Killmonger and other aspects of the movie. There’s so much more to talk about with this movie compared to just about everything else out there. (Last Jedi being the exception…) And that means something. I still don’t put it above the aforementioned movies from an entertainment standpoint, but as a think piece, it outpaces most, if not all, of the field.
Regret watching? No
Would buy on DVD? No
Would watch again? Yes
Rating: Pretty Good
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