Hotel Artemis, Supreme Power, Squadron Supreme, Nighthawk, Hyperion

Hotel Artemis

I went into this movie expecting something very John Wick-y.  It had a hospital with the same rules as The Continental. The presence of Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella suggested plenty good action.  Jodie Foster guaranteed awesomeness.

All of those things proved to be true, but it still turned out to be a very different film from the action flick that I was looking for.  It was much more about the interactions between the various characters residing on that floor. All of the actors were strong enough that I was completely entertained watching their relationships unfold over the course of a very chaotic night.  Sterling K Brown exuded a calm competence that makes him immediately likable. Jodie Foster (looking like she’s aged 30 years since I last saw her) mixed fragility and strength in a wonderfully compelling way. Dave Bautista played a more self-aware Drax.  Sofia Boutella has quickly become one of the best action stars out there today, what with Kingsman, Star Trek: Beyond, and this.

Holy geez, I knew she’s a dancer, but I had never seen her dance before today.  Love her more now:

I’ve seen Charlie Day in both Pacific Rims and this.  I have always hated him. I have not enjoyed any period of time that involved him talking.  At least he dies.

Regret watching? No

Would watch again? Yes

Would buy on DVD? No

Rating: Nice

Tales of Suspense 100-104

I read some good reviews of this as it was coming out, so I bought the trade on a whim.  I’m so glad I did. This is a ton of fun. Bucky and Hawkeye have the same “I hate you so much but we work together so well” vibe that Bucky and Falcon share in the movies.  They’re on the trail of Black Widow, who supposedly died in the Secret Empire event. (Which I didn’t read. I had no interest in Nazi Captain America.)

Turns out Natasha did die, but the Red Room (thanks, Richard K Morgan!) cloned her body and had a telepath load all of her memories into it.  What??? So Widow from this point forward is a clone? That’s pretty crazy. Looking forward to the re-read.

Supreme Power 1-18

I ripped through these even faster than the original Squadron Supreme.  JM Straczynski absolutely nails this series.  It’s a dark, cynical interpretation of DC’s iconic characters, and I was all in the entire way.  It feels a lot like something Warren Ellis would write, either for Authority or Planetary. The US government’s heartless raising of Mark Milton into their idea of the perfect, controlled weapon rang scarily true, as did the inevitable backfire of the plan.  

Each of the other Squadron members are just as compelling in their re-imaginings, and Straczynski does a masterful job of spending just enough time on each of them before moving on to the next.  The pacing had me reaching for the next issue as soon as I reached the last page of the previous one. Couldn’t wait to keep reading.

With the exception of Redstone the superpowered serial killer, the majority of the conflict throughout the series is internal, between the members of the Squadron.  (And the government that’s trying to harness their collective power.) It really works, because what else in that world could give these people a challenge?

Gary Frank deserves just as much credit for the awesomeness of this run.  It’s not the kind of thing where a specific panel stands out. The whole thing is just consistently amazing.  

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Really Good

Supreme Power: Nighthawk 1-6

Daniel Way and Steve Dillon tell their version of Batman/Joker.  It’s appropriately sick and twisted, and I love it. WIth the Marvel MAX line, they can get away with a lot more than DC usually does, and they take full advantage.  Daniel Way writes this sort of thing a lot like Garth Ennis, or maybe it feels that way because Dillon’s on art. Which is fine by me.

Creepy as fuck.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Good

Supreme Power: Hyperion 1-5

There no better proof of Gary Frank’s importance on this title than his absence on this one.  Perhaps I would have rated it just the same if he had drawn it, but I doubt it. Dan Jurgens is fine, but he’s just not as good.  It’s not entire his fault - Klaus Jansen is on inks, and converts Jurgens’ pencils into something so far from what they normally look like.

Dan Jurgens pencils

Klaus Janson pencils

Who does this look more like?

The story would have been a nice set up for future stories, if Straczynski had stuck around long enough - The alternate reality the Squadron encounters is actually the future, and only Dr. Burbank knows.  Will he do anything to change it?

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? No

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Fine

Squadron Supreme 1-7

We’ll never know, because the subsequent series (also by Straczynski and Frank) abruptly ends with a cliffhanger.  Presumably Straczynski found something better to do with his time. It’s a shame, because he was doing some nice work, particularly with Inertia.  On the one hand, the tale of an woman emotionally damaged as the result of rape and an abusive father can be seen as lazy and generic. On the other, I can’t imagine that it’s a story that isn’t reflected in real life far too often, and doesn’t that horror need to be called out?

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Nice