Tim Burton rewatch! Are the eyes truly the windows of the soul? Where is the line of honesty versus deception in art and inspiration? These are big questions for Big Eyes (2014).
Here’s what happens: No one is quite sure what to make of Margaret Keane’s paintings of unusually big-eyed children, but everyone is inexplicably drawn to them. It’s a man’s world in the 1950s, however, so her husband Walter takes credit for the paintings. After years of this, Margaret finally takes a stand.
Origin story: Based on a true story. While the movie takes shortcuts like all biopics do, it tells the story of Margaret Keane’s rocky marriage and the fight for her art. She continued being a successful artist for decades after the events of this movie, established as a well-known yet occasionally controversial figure in the California art scene. She died in 2022.
Outsider theory: A woman of few words, Margaret Keane remains unknowable. This is likely what appealed to Burton, the tale of a quiet person whose artwork is often looked on as outlandish by others.
Reality breaks through: In this case the fantasy world is Margaret’s life with Walter, and him growing famous and wealthy from her work. The real world breaks through the fantasy when she finally speaks up and takes control of her life.
Best bits: Reporter Dick Nolan: “You know what pissed me off? Margaret gave the scoop to some button-pushing Big Lolo, instead of a respected journalist like myself.”
Thoughts on this viewing: Many critics over the years have chided this movie for not doing more with the climactic trial that ends the movie, arguing that the whole thing should be a quirky courtroom drama. My counterargument is that Burton and co. aren’t interested in the trial so much as they are in Margaret living with a lie for years on end. That’s the story being told. It’s a simple one, but it’s well told. After the bombast of Alice and Dark Shadows, it’s refreshing to see Burton doing more character-focused work again.
Next: Held for Ransom.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #563 is all about the Thing getting engaged, along with naughty cosplayers and a looming otherworldly threat.
We begin with a very suggestive image of Johnny getting romantic with Storm and the Scarlet Witch. Turn the page and no, it’s not really them. Johnny explains to one of the guys in his band that they’re two cosplayers he met at a club the night before. The band guy informs Johnny that Ben had gotten engaged to schoolteacher Debbie Green. Johnny says, “This is the biggest thing ever,” and he leaps out the window to flame on and fly off.
The paparazzi are all outside the new Baxter Building, hoping for a shot of Ben and Debbie. Inside, Reed, Sue and the kids are congratulating the couple. Johnny arrives and learns the wedding is set for only six weeks. Back outside, the paparazzi speculate about who Debbie is. Then her slimy ex-boyfriend Jason shows up, promising to tell them everything about her.
In Reed’s lab, he’s on a call with Iron Man. Reed informs Tony about his talk with Dr. Doom last issue. Doom warned Reed of his “masters,” the ones who made him who he is. Reed is planning another family vacation, and Tony says he’ll keep an eye on Doom while they’re gone. On the roof of the Baxter Building, Ben receives a gigantic statue from Wakanda as an engagement gift. Reed tells him that he and Debbie are both invited on the vacation.
Later, Sue is with Debbie and the kids at Madison Square Park. Debbie is concerned about being famous. Sue says she’s used to a family with superpowers, but Debbie must consider her perfectly ordinary family and friends. Sue cautions Debbie about walking away from her old life, but she also says this is the happiest Ben has been in a long time.
Cut to “one dimension away,” in the alternate universe New York from last issue. The place is wrecked, with rubble and dead bodies all around. The mystery man seen last issue confront this universe’s Reed, telling him all his teammates are dead. He says, “You live. We kill. It’s just the way things are.” The alt-universe Human Torch, named Jack Richards, flames on and flies high up into the sky. He builds up momentum for one last attack, but the mystery man stops him merely by holding up a hand.
The mystery man’s travelling companion asks if their work is done. The mystery man says there’s only one left to kill. There’s a huge explosion, and then it’s over. The mystery man says it’s time to visit their favorite pupil, Victor Von Doom, now that twenty years have passed. “This should be interesting,” he says.
Cut to Dr. Doom’s jail cell inside the Hague, guards wonder why Doom is smiling. A closeup on his mask, and it actually does look like he’s smiling! Doom responds, “You’ll see.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Reed says he owes the family another vacation after the last one ended badly. This is in reference to the time travel craziness we saw at the start of issue #554.
Fade out: There’s a strangely dark moment where Debbie says even super-villains wouldn’t attack a school, and Sue tells her, “I think you’re being naïve.”
Clobberin’ time: Ben says the giant Wakandan statue is a gift from Black Panther. It’s a fertility idol (!) which promises six healthy sons in the future. Ben says he wouldn’t mind sextuplets.
Flame on: Johnny uses his flame to sky-write “Congratulations Ben and Debbie” overhead. Ben jokes that he’s doing this to save money on a card.
Fantastic fifth wheel: We get another glimpse of the Doombots that were reprogrammed with the remains of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot to be the FF’s household staff. Freakin’ H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot.
One of the paparazzi asks whether Debbie is the girlfriend of Ben’s who used to be Ms. Marvel. I assume he’s referring to Sharon Ventura.
Four and a half: Franklin is present throughout this issue to establish he’s with the family, but he doesn’t say or do much.
Our gal Val: Valeria has a blog! The issue’s opening recap page is set up to look like her blog site, where she’s writing about what the FF are up to. She’s also letting the whole world know she’s a super-genius now.
Sue-per spy: The 2019 Invisible Woman miniseries revealed Sue had a double life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all along. In this issue, she talks to Debbie about always having to be disguised when she goes out in public. Could this be her spy training at work?
Trivia time: One of the paparazzi is a Daily Bugle photographer named Harry. The Marvel Wiki insists that this is not the same Bugle employee named Harry who was abducted by Dr. Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man annual #15.
Fantastic or frightful? I do enjoy these slice-of-life issues, even though a lot of this is obviously setting up big things to come. The lighter plot means the comic can do things like spend two pages on Johnny jumping out a window and flying off for a nice cinematic moment. It’s unfortunate that we only hear about Debbie being overwhelmed by her new life rather than seeing this play out from her point of view. Other than that, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch continue to impress.
Next: The Scots word of the day.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Tim Burton rewatch! Burton goes back to his roots, but in story and in style, with 2012’s remake of his own Frankenweenie.
Here’s what happens: After young Victor’s beloved dog Sparky dies in an accident, Victor revives his pet using mad science he learned in school. Once his secret gets out, all the other kids in the neighborhood apply mad science to their own pets, resulting in chaos at the annual town carnival.
Origin story: Burton’s 1984 Disney-produced short film Frankenweenie was a real calling card for him at the start of his career, as tapes of it were spread around town to develop something of a cult following. Allegedly, Burton wanted to do a feature-length version for years, with multiple scripts in and out of development. Sometime around 2009, he signed a deal with Disney for two 3-D films. The first was Alice in Wonderland, and the second was the new Frankenweenie.
Outsider theory: This movie takes the outsider concept and reverses it. Victor and his dog are the only normal ones in a town full of weirdos, creeps, and just plain jerks.
Reality breaks through: Victor tries to keep Sparky a secret from everyone. Once the secret is out among Victor’s classmates, things spiral out of control. Again, the outsider concept is reversed, where all the weird, zany characters break through into Victor’s quiet home life.
Best bits: Science teacher: “Ladies and gentlemen, I think the confusion here is that you are all very ignorant. Is that the right word? I meant stupid.”
Thoughts on this viewing: This is really two movies. The first half is a boy-and-his-dog tale with a supernatural twist. The second is a monsters-invade-a-small-town movie, like Them!, The Blob, or even Gremlins. Some viewers prefer the calmer first, while others dig the crazier second. I’m in the latter camp, as the monster gags in the movie’s finale give it its own identity beyond remaking the original short.
Next: It’s a movement.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. We go from a funeral to a jail to… a wedding proposal? No, this isn’t a ‘90s Hugh Grant romcom, it’s issue #562.
Most of this issue is dealing with fallout from the previous storyline, so here’s the recap: Reed’s ex-girlfriend Alyssa Moy and her new husband Ted Castle constructed Nu World, a recreation of Earth in another dimension. Meanwhile, the New Defenders arrived from a disaster-ridden future with a plan to relocate millions of future refugees to the present. After much fighting and conflict, it was decided to relocate the refugees to Nu World. Also, little Valeria Richards was revealed to be a super-genius just like her dad.
We begin with Sue saying, “Thanks for coming to my funeral, everyone.” This is actually the funeral for future Susan Richards, who was leader of the New Defenders. A whole bunch of Marvel heroes have turned out for the event, including the Watcher. The New Defenders are also there, now allied with the FF. Sue gives her own eulogy, praising her future self for fighting to save the future.
Johnny reconciles with his Psionics of the New Defenders. They were dating before the big fight began. He says he understands why she did what she did. She invites him to visit her on Nu World, and he says that after his new band is done touring, he’ll definitely be there. The New Defenders thank the FF again for Nu World, and Reed says Alyssa is the one they should thank. Alyssa says giving Nu World to the refugees hasn’t made her popular, but she’s glad she did it.
Later, at the new Baxter Building, Reed and Valeria have a chat. We’re skipping over how and when he learned she’s a super-genius. Instead, he tells her about how he’s attending a hearing about Dr. Doom to plead against execution, despite everything Doom has done. Valeria shows Reed a new trailer she’s invented for the Fantasticar, which, like a T.A.R.D.I.S., has a bigger-on-the-inside two-story living space within it. She then admits that Franklin has been acting differently know that her secret is out. Reed says the family dynamic is in flux, and to give Franklin time.
Later, Reed visits the Hague, where Army goons let him in where Dr. Doom is being kept in a high-tech cell. Remember that Doom murdered future Sue as revenge for the New Defenders abducting him. Doom makes a remark about sending flowers to the funeral, and then asks if Reed is there to gloat. Reed says he will defend anyone’s life, even Doom’s. Doom says Reed is weak because Doom will always make the final blow. Then there’s some confusion over why he was arrested, not necessarily for the death of future Sue, but general crimes against humanity.
Doom further adds that he has powerful friends who are working on getting him released. He says this includes his “master,” whom he describes as “the first super-villain” who taught him everything he knows. Doom says his master is getting closer and closer, with big plans for the future of humanity. He concludes with a threat, “I wonder if that wife of yours can die twice, eh?”
Later, Ben and his new girlfriend Debbie Green are enjoying a romantic flight over NYC in a Fantasticar. They pass by Avengerse Tower (rebuilt after World War Hulk, apparently), they see a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and even Spider-Man swings by. She talks about how outrageous his life is compared to hers. She adds that she hasn’t seen her ex-boyfriend Jason in six months (we readers know that isn’t true, as he’s been following her).
He jokes about whether she’s a Skrull or some other villain in disguise, and she assures him she’s just an ordinary girl from Brooklyn. He says he’s glad for that, because it’s been a long time since he’d met someone like her. He then hands her a ring and asks, “What’s it gonna be?”
Then we cut to “New York City, one dimension away,” which looks just like our New York. The captions repeat Doom’s dialogue from earlier about his master while blue electricity crackles around the city. Two figures appear in the shadows. One asks if they should start with people or insects this time. Turn the page for an extreme close-up of gross mouth with nasty teeth, answering, “People.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Reed tells Valeria that he plans to defend Doom in court against execution, because every life is precious. But he tells Doom that, in place of execution, he will argue to keep Doom in prison for “a long, long time.”
Fade out: After the funeral, Sue has a moment with Alex Ultron of the New Defenders. He tells her that although they haven’t technically met, she was the biggest influence on his life. She responds, “That means a lot.”
Clobberin’ time: Ben has had quite a few girlfriends since he and Alicia amicably separated (more than 300 issues ago, remember), so why does Debbie get the engagement ring? This issue suggests it’s because of her normalcy, and how she’s not wrapped up in any superhero business.
Flame on: The funeral concludes in dramatic fashion as Johnny flies up and creates the “4” symbol in the sky with his flame.
Fantastic fifth wheel: Alternate fifth members of the team seen at funeral are She-Hulk, Luke Cage, Storm, and Black Panther.
There was a meme going around Fantastic Four fandom this week with a so-called definitive list of the FF’s alternate fifth members. It’s a good list, including a lot of the ones that people forget, like Tigra and Kristoff. But it also includes Iceman as an official team member, based on his appearances in issues #28 and #36. I went back and re-read those issues, and it looks to me like Iceman is only there in the context of being part of the X-Men. He doesn’t show up Fantastic Four again until Reed and Sue’s engagement party and wedding, and not after that until the Fall of the Mutants crossover. As for any fifth members I would add to the meme list, the only one I can think of is Bounty, the intergalactic bounty hunter who ran with the team vol. 3 issues #14-23.
Four and a half: While Reed and Valeria discuss Franklin’s reaction to her genius, the comic shows a very sad Franklin playing with a Fantasticar toy and looking over his Christmas list for Santa. The list includes “Super-powers like the rest of my family.”
Our gal Val: Valeria’s newly built Fantasticar trailer being like a T.A.R.D.I.S. is no coincidence. She says she got the idea by watching Doctor Who. She specifies it was on the Sci-Fi Channel, which only showed the ninth and tenth Doctors.
Trivia time: Can we sort out the chronology of Dr. Doom during this time? He was arrested for crimes against humanity in Mighty Avengers #11. He was locked up in the Raft, which is where the New Defenders abducted him, minus a side visit to the Baxter Building, in Fantastic Four #558. Now he’s locked up again, this time at the Hague. Is that it? I think that’s it.
Wolverine is at the funeral, and he and the Hooded Man give each other menacing stares. Remember that the Hooded Man is Wolverine from the future.
The big guy at the funeral with the big skull on his chest is not the Punisher. That’s Ares, the god of war, who had recently joined the Avengers. Also, Spider-Woman at the funeral is not really Spider-Woman but a Skrull in disguise, so the series still hasn’t caught up to Secret Invasion.
Fantastic or frightful? A classic “in between” episode that follows up on the previous storyline and setting up the next. It’s maybe a little incredulous that this funeral gets all this attention, unless the world at large is aware of Nu World and saving all the refugees. But there are a lot of nice character moments, and the characters are what makes Marvel stand out.
Next: Smile time.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Tim Burton rewatch! The most cult-ish of all cult TV shows gets the Burton remake treatment in 2012’s Dark Shadows. Does it have… bite?
Here’s what happens: It’s the 1970s. Victoria Winters has arrived to be governess for the formerly wealthy Collins family during an unusually busy time for them. Ancestor Barnabas Collins is a centuries-old vampire recently risen from the grave with a mission to return the family business to its former glory. Barnabas and Victoria’s romance is complicated by the witch Angelique. She’s the one who cursed Barnabas with vampirism, and she’s still around to cause trouble. Also, there’s tons of other characters and subplots.
Origin story: The original Dark Shadows was quite the novelty, a daytime soap opera with a horror/gothic/supernatural twist. Running from 1966 to 1971, it seemed destined for cult status from the start. (Although, to be fair, the daytime soaps have done a surprising amount of sci-fi/fantasy plots over the years.) The show was created by producer wunderkind Dan Curtis, who never let a tiny TV budget sway him from bringing his big ideas to the screen. The rarely-seen 1990 NBC prime time revival of Dark Shadows is also worth checking out.
Outsider theory: You’d think Victoria would be our outsider, being thrown into the middle of this weird family and all the supernatural happenings. Instead, Burton and co. have a lot more fun with Barnabas being perplexed by the modern day.
Reality breaks through: Our villain Angelique represents the real world breaking through the fantasy, with her high-tech factory and sleek red sports car. She almost literally kicks open the door of the Collins’ old-timey mansion to complicate everyone’s lives by bringing in the outside world. But Angelique’s goal isn’t financial. Despite her curse on Barnabas, her main desire is to seduce him.
Best bits: Julia: “Forgive me! You’re a good man! You’re a gentleman! Please…” Barnabas: “Madam, I am neither good nor gentle. And I do not forgive.”
Thoughts on this viewing: Dark Shadows should be the ultimate vampire romance, a chance to those punk Twilight kids how it’s really done. But this movie is so all over the place with so many side characters and subplots that Barnabas and Victoria barely interact. They also dial down the goth romance by making this a comedy, and a broad one at that. There are some individual moments that work, especially when it’s just Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfieffer together on screen, but this could have been so much more.
Next: A longer weenie.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Fantastic Friday! Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s first big story arc comes to a head in issue #561.
Recap: With an eco-disaster on the horizon, the New Defenders have traveled from the future to with a plan to bring future survivors to the present. They’ve abducted both Johnny and Dr. Doom, attaching them both to a dead Galactus and a “Galactus engine” which will power this plan. Meanwhile, Mrs. Deneuve, the FF’s new nanny, was revealed to be Sue from the future, and the New Defenders’ leader.
This issue begins as Johnny learns all when future Sue rejoins the New Defenders, who are Hulk Junior, Lightwave, Natalie X, Alex Ultron, the mysterious Hooded Man, and Johnny’s bank-robbing ex-girlfriend Psionics. Hulk Junior turns on the engine, causing Johnny and Dr. Doom great pain. Future Sue watches this coldly, saying she’s come too far to turn away now.
At the new Baxter Building, the FF, She-Hulk, and the kids recover from future Sue’s attack last issue. Reed deduces that she’s Sue from the future. Reed doesn’t know how to find her, but he does have his new microscopic tracer he’s developing in case of future FF abductions. He looks at Sue and says, “Once it’s injected, it’s impossible to remove.” Reed gives Sue the tracer, and then the computer locates future Sue in the hideout in upstate New York. She-Hulk stays behind to watch the kids until authorities arrive. As Reed, Sue, and Ben fly off in the Fantasticar, Reed says to Valeria that they’ll talk when he gets back.
At the New Defenders’ hideout, we learn that the engine is drawing energy from Galactus first, then Doom, and finally Johnny, in hopes that Johnny might still survive. Future Sue says the eight billion survivors from the future will be equally distributed around the present Earth’s give major continents. Outside, Sue uses her rarely seen “make invisible things visible” power to reveal the hideout is a huge ship hovering in the air upstate. (I find it unlikely that Psionics’ bank robberies paid for all this. Maybe that was just beer money.) The New Defenders can sense an attack is imminent, but they’re not fast enough, as the FF bust into the place.
Fighting! Ben and Sue clear a path so Reed can get at the New Defenders’ computer. The Hooded Man holds them off with his… adamantium claws! Yes, the Hooded Man is really a future Wolverine! He puts up a good fight until Sue blinds him by turning his optic nerves invisible so Ben can punch him out.
Sue confronts her future self, saying that an additional eight billion people would deplete the world. Future Sue says shutting off the engine will kill them all. Sue says she won’t let the future survivors die. Then she contacts Alyssa Moy, Reed’s ex-girlfriend, who has been working with her husband on Nu World, a recreation of Earth in an alternate universe. She and her husband Ted Castle are on Nu World at the moment, and she sends the signal to let everyone through. Alyssa confronts Ted on his plan to save only the wealthy elite, and she tells him to think of this as payback.
All eight billion survivors beam into Nu World in an instant. Ted freaks out, saying the board didn’t approve of this. Alyssa responds, “What are they going to do, Ted? Evict them?” Back at the hideout, future Sue drops the villain act and is overjoyed that Reed found a solution for the survivors. Ben detaches Johnny and Doom from the engine. They’re both out of it, but they survived. Galactus, this one from the New Defenders’ future, wasn’t so lucky, and is now dead. Reed says that one thing Nu World doesn’t have is super-powered protectors, and he thinks the New Defenders are just right for the job.
Then Dr. Doom wakes. Future Sue tries to apologize, saying there was no other way, and that it was nothing personal. “I only did what I had to,” she says. Doom says, “Likewise,” and he wraps his hands around future Sue’s next. There’s a flash of blue lightning, and future Sue is now just a burned skeleton. (Remember a few issues back when Doom swore revenge?) The others ask what he’s done, and Doom says, “Restored my honor. Nothing more.”
To be continued.
Unstable molecule: Reed’s microscopic tracer is in place so that any member of the FF can be instantly found if they ever mysteriously disappear again. Let’s see how long this stays in continuity.
Fade out: Future Wolverine says he recognizes the smell of Sue’s invisible force fields. This has never been a thing before, but I guess future Wolverine is just that good.
Clobberin’ time: But then, Ben has to point out that Wolverine smelled the force fields, but didn’t smell Ben coming. I wonder if that was an editorial note.
Flame on: Johnny refuses to believe future Sue is his sister. She explains that Reed concocted a way to keep her alive for centuries to save the world from the oncoming eco-disaster.
Fantastic fifth wheel: She-Hulk gets stuck on bodyguard (babysitting) duty. She promises to join the fight when she can, but I guess it’s over before she can get there.
Four and a half: Franklin expresses concern over his mom becoming a bad guy in the future. Ben assures him that future Sue is not really evil, but doing what she has to because an entire world is counting on her.
Our gal Val: The unspoken look between Reed and Val before he leaves suggests Reed has figured out Valeria’s secret, that she’s a super-genius.
Sue-per spy: The 2019 Invisible Woman miniseries revealed that Sue was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all along. Her uncovering the hideout’s ship so efficiently might be her spy training at work, along with use of her powers.
Trivia time: Alyssa and the New Defenders will be around for a while longer, as we deal with the fallout from this story.
The Marvel Wiki tries to reconcile this version of Wolverine with other future Wolverines, from Old Man Logan, Wastelanders: Wolverine, and a weird Spider-Bot interactive comic.
Fantastic or frightful? Mark Millar’s first story arc on the series ends with a bang, while still setting up things to come. For as frustrated as I’ve been with some of Millar’s other work, these past few issues of Fantastic Four have been quite good. It’s a big sci-fi superhero epic, yet one that keeps character from and center. Fun comics, in other words.
Next: Rules of engagement.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Tim burton rewatch! Alice in Wonderland (2010) is considered by many to be Burton’s worst film, and yet it also achieved an astonishing $1 billion at the box office. Something something futterwacken something.
Here’s what happens: Alice Kingsleigh’s thoughts dwell on absurd notions, and she does not want to marry the foppish Hamish Ascot. She then tumbles down a rabbit hole to find herself revisiting another world (or perhaps a dream) that she once visited as a child. But the whimsical Wonderland has become a dystopian “Underland,” where the people are oppressed by the selfish Red Queen. Alice is a chosen one, dubbed “The Alice” and only she can lead the rebellion to restore freedom to Wonderland.
Origin story: The original Alice in Wonderland novel is actually two books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), and Alice Through the Looking Glass (1871), written by the notoriously eccentric Lewis Carroll. The books are famous for their backwards logic, where the sensible Alice intellectualizes her way through a series of nonsensical characters and situations. The books have never gone out of print, and they’ve been adapted numerous times over the years, including the famous 1951 Disney animated feature.
Outsider theory: Alice spends most of the movie either insisting she is dreaming or actively being the fantasy hero, so she’s not really the outsider here. The better candidate is this version of the Mad Hatter, who was once a person of importance in the queen’s court, but is now an outcast. Unfortunately, this is only illustrated with how he used to dance in happier times. At the end, he dances again, and… well…
Reality breaks through: The movie concludes with Alice, having grown from her adventures in the fantasy world, rejecting society’s romantic norms and instead becoming a successful businesswoman. But is this really a one-to-one metaphor for slaying dragons and leading a rebellion? I don’t know that it is.
Best bits: Cheshire Cat: “All this talk of blood and slaying has put me off my tea.”
Thoughts upon this viewing: It’s not all bad. The opening scenes in the real world, the fall through the rabbit hole, and the growing/shrinking room are all quite good. But then Alice starts gathering her band of heroes, and the movie loses steam. The problem is removing Carroll’s so-called “nonsense logic” and replacing it with a standard fantasy adventure narrative, where our hero falls through a portal to another world and becomes the unlikely leader of the rebellion. This type of story is frowned upon because it’s been done to death. All other criticisms of the movie stem from remixing Alice’s story in this way.
Next: Waves crash upon the rocks.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #560 tells us what’s been going on in this story arc, with still more twists and turns for our heroes.
Recap: Johnny’s new girlfriend, the super-powered bank robber named Psionics, is actually a member of newbie villain team the New Defenders, who have kidnapped both Johnny and Dr. Doom, hooking them up to a machine attached to a very dead-looking Galactus. Also, the leader of the New Defenders appears to be none other than the Hulk. What’s going on?
This issue begins with a flash forward, showing New York City being flooded. The caption narration says this is the eco-disaster that Reed’s old flame Alyssa Moy has been trying to prevent. Thanks to Reed’s efforts, the disaster did not happen in thirty years, but in five hundred. We see lots of images of death and destruction, leading to the year 2509, in which the Hulk and Earth’s remaining superheroes build the Great Machine. Hulk exclaims, “We’re going back in time.”
Hulk explains that a few of the heroes will go back in a small team to establish a base in the past, and then bring the rest of the survivors back. The others are wary of time travel, but the Hooded Man, the New Defenders’ mystery man, say to trust “my boy.” Hulk says the problem is finding a power source for the machine, which is not possible after the disaster destroyed Wakanda. And that’s when Galactus appeared overhead.
Cut the present, where Johnny is the one being told this story. He concludes that the heroes defeated Galactus and then used his powers to fuel the time machine. Hulk says he’s really Hulk Junior, son of the original. He introduces the others: Natalie X, Alex Ultron, the Hooded Man, Lightwave, and of course Psionics. Hulk Junior also says the Hooded Man is his stepfather, and Alex and Natalie are a couple.
Johnny deduces that the Psionics was robbing all those banks to fund the New Defenders’ base. She says the combination of his, Doom’s and Galactus’ powers will save eight billion lives in the future. Johnny says there’s no way for him to respond to this without being selfish. Dr. Doom is less diplomatic, swearing vengeance on his captors. Then Hulk says he’s not the New Defenders’ leader, but that the leader is on the way.
Out in the streets of NYC, Reed, Ben, and Sue examine the wreckage of last issue’s fight between Lightwave and Johnny. A cop says there are no civilian fatalities from the fight, but Sue and Reed and more concerned about Johnny’s disappearance. In Washington Heights, we follow Ben’s new girlfriend Debbie Green, as she meets with man named Jason. He acts threatening, and he tells him to leave her alone. He says people are laughing at her, and he adds, “I will not be dumped for the Thing.”
Later that night, at the new Baxter Building, Reed chats with the family’s new nanny, Tabitha Deneuve. He says he’s working on nanotech tracing devices to prevent the next time one of the FF gets kidnapped. Mrs. Deneuve says, “Don’t ever change.” Then Reed is thrown across the room and his lab is trashed by an unknown force. Deneuve takes control of the building’s computer and puts the entire building into lockdown.
Ben and She-Hulk, who is there to work with Sue’s new charity fundraising group, meet up with Deneuve to get her to safety. But then another unseen power forces them through the floor and then outside the building. Then Sue and Valeria run up. Sue promises to get Deneuve and Valeria to safety, but all Deneuve says is, “Put the baby down.”
Turn the page and see Sue and Deneuve fighting each other with matching invisible force fields. Sue is stronger, but Deneuve is the more experienced fighter. She knocks Sue out. Deneuve tells Valeria that Sue will be fine. Valeria, whom you’ll remember was revealed to be a child genius a few issues back, asks about the rest of the world. Deneuve says, “The rest of the world should have been more careful about the future they left us.”
Deneuve uses her power to punch yet another hole in the building. She contacts her people, saying the Fantastic Four have been neutralized and that she has secured the final component for the plan. She instructs Valeria to tell the FF not to look for her. Valeria calls Deneuve “Mom,” and asks her to think about what she’s done. Then Deneuve throws off her coat to reveal a futuristic Fantastic Four uniform underneath. Yes, this is Sue from the future, and the New Defenders’ leader. She says, “I’ve had five hundred years to think about it, darling.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Deneuve encourages Reed to tell the kids about Johnny’s abduction, so they don’t learn it from TV news. Reed is dismissive of this, saying Sue will handle this. Stuff like this is why people think Reed is unlikable.
Fade out: Sue seems to figure out who Deneuve is just before the big fight, saying “Oh, no” just before Deneuve attacks.
Clobberin’ time: Debbie says she and Ben never got to see David Letterman, as the call about Johnny’s abduction came in before the show started.
Flame on: It’s hinted at but not said that Johnny might be harmed (or killed?) in some way by powering Hulk Junior’s engine. What’s his moral dilemma, then? Not wanting to mess with the time stream? Now wanting to partner with Psionics after learning of her criminal ways?
Fantastic fifth wheel: No dialogue for She-Hulk in her appearance this issue.
Four and a half: Is Franklin okay? We see him reading Mark Millar comics, including adults-only books like Kick-Ass and Wanted. Sure, that’s an Easter egg, but then Franklin says he wants to watch the most violent movie he can find.
Our gal Val: Val shows off her newly revealed genius by deducing Deneuve’s real identity. Deneuve/Future Sue just accepts this and doesn’t ask how Valeria figured it out.
Sue-per spy: The 2019 Invisible Woman miniseries revealed that Sue was secretly a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all along. We see using that spy training as Mrs. Deneuve, infiltrating and then incapacitating the FF.
Trivia time: Hulk Junior says the New Defenders once had 147 members, but these seven are the only ones who survived the battle against Galactus. We see a bunch of the others during the flashback, but none of them are named. One is a Spider-Man type, one is a Captain America type, there’s an Ant-Man like shrunken guy, and one guy has an X-Men logo on his suit.
Fantastic or frightful? Writer Mark Millar connects a lot of dots he’d set up throughout this story arc, so much so that we might be able to predict the ending at this point. But it’s all about getting there. The turn involving Mrs. Deneuve is especially nicely done.
Next: Start your engines.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Tim Burton rewatch! Was Burton really the right choice to direct the adaptation of the macabre Broadway favorite Sweeney Todd? Let’s have some meat pies while we figure it out.
Here’s what happens: Former barber Sweeney Todd returns to London after being sentenced to jail by a corrupt judge, in a plot to steal away Sweeney’s wife. Sweeney desires only revenge, while his downstairs neighbor Mrs. Lovett desires only Sweeney. Together, they hatch a plan. Sweeney uses his blades to sever the throats of London’s undesirables, and Mrs. Lovett disposes of the bodies by baking them into her delicious and profitable meat pies.
Origin story: The character Sweeney Todd first appeared in a series of stories called A String of Pearls published from 1846 to 1847. There’s much debate among historians whether these stories were based on a real murder. The ghoulish tale has been adapted dozens (hundreds?) of times, most famously by Steven Sondheim in 1970’s Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Combining comedy and horror, this was an ambitious production involving a complex, multi-level set. The musical remains perennially popular, still performed around the world to this day.
Outsider theory: Sweeney is single-minded in his journey toward vengeance, making him blind to the lives and feelings of others around him. But it’s Mrs. Lovett who is the classic Burton-ish outsider. Her unrequited and misguided love for Sweeney is her escaping into her own fantasy world. This is best seen during “By The Sea” a song portrayed broad and comedic, not quite in tone with the rest of the movie.
Reality breaks through: How does the real world make itself known? Through fate. Sweeney’s revenge and Mrs. Lovett’s romanticism lead them both down a path that can only end in tragedy, yet they follow this path to its conclusion because there is no other way to go.
Best bits: Mrs. Lovett: “You’re barking mad! Killing a man what done you know harm?” Sweeney: “He recognized me from the old days. Tried to blackmail me. Half me earnings.” Mrs. Lovett: “Oh well, that’s a different matter, then. For a moment there, I thought you lost your marbles.”
Thoughts on this viewing: The movie really should be retitled Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, as the Broadway show is wholly remixed into something new to better fit Burton’s themes and monochromatic aesthetics. But Sondheim’s twisty-turny lyrics are still catchy, and this is probably the best of Helena Bonham-Carter and Johnny Depp’s many pairings. The final thirty minutes are especially compelling, when everything goes full operatic tragedy.
Next: Off with her head!
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch continue on with issue #559. Also, David Letterman is here!
Recap: Dr. Doom has been kidnapped by a new team of supervillains calling themselves the New Defenders, one of whom is Johnny’s new girlfriend, a super-powered bank robber named Psionics. Also, their leader appears to be… the Hulk! Meanwhile, the Richard kids’ new nanny, Mrs. Deneuve, has deduced that little Valeria is actually a genius.
This issue begins in good spirits as Johnny’s new rock band is performing on The Late Show with David Letterman. Ben and his new girlfriend, schoolteacher Debbie Green, head to the Ed Sullivan Theater to check out the show. Johnny is running late for the show, speeding his expensive new car through NYC traffic, when he’s attacked by Lightwave, one of the New Defenders. They fight for a bit.
Elsewhere in New York, Sue is having dinner with Alyssa Moy, Reed’s ex-girlfriend. (Rather rude of Sue to skip Johnny’s Letterman appearance.) There’s a lot of tension between them, and Alyssa admits she’s in trouble. She and her husband, Ted Castle, are building Nu Earth, a recreation of Earth in a parallel universe where humanity will be evacuated in an upcoming natural disaster. However, Alyssa reveals that Ted lied, and that his plan is to save only the wealthy elite and leave the rest of humanity to die. Alyssa says Reed has severed his ties with her, and she doesn’t know who else to call.
Then we catch up Johnny, crawling from the wreckage of his expensive car. Psionics joins the fight, and he assumes this is because of their fight last issue. Psionics says that “Dr. Banner” insisted that Johnny die painlessly (!) but Lightwave, who you’ll remember is Psionics’ father, wants revenge for Johnny breaking his daughter’s heart. They fight inside a fast-food place, then in the sky over the city, and then in a parking garage.
The New Defenders’ sixth member, the mysterious “Hooded Man,” then attacks Johnny, grabbing him and throwing them both into an office building. We see a series of explosions from outside the building, and then the Hooded Man steps out with an unconscious Johnny. “Let’s get this clown back to base,” he says.
At the New Baxter Building, Reed is speaking on the phone (actually a hologram) with Hank Pym. He says he’s letting his subconscious work on the mystery of Doom’s kidnapping, while his main focus is investigating Alyssa and Ted’s prediction of an impending worldwide eco-disaster. He says he wants to assemble a task force. Then Mrs. Deneuve tells him something terrible has happened to Johnny.
At the New Defenders’ secret base, Johnny wakes to find himself and Dr. Doom both hooked up to a strange machine. Doom in uncommunicative, with the New Defenders bragging about how his pride has taken a huge blow. Johnny sees that the Hulk (or someone who appears to be the Hulk) is the group’s leader. This Hulk says his team needs a power source for a machine. Johnny looks down and sees that this machine is hooked up to Galactus’ chest (!). The Hulk says, “I think it’s time we had a little chat, Johnny.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Reed says the predicted eco-disaster will destroy the Earth in thirty years. He feels that the data is sound, but that it cannot be because of all the geniuses at work on Earth.
Fade out: Sue says her new charity-fundraising super-team Miss America has raised $55 million to help New Yorkers whose homes were destroyed during the World War Hulk event.
Clobberin’ time: Ben has fun showing off with Debbie in front of paparazzi, but Debbie says she doesn’t want her picture taken. This is another hint that she has a big secret.
Flame on: Johnny says he’s running late because he was visiting sick children in the hospital, but everyone knows he was really partying with two supermodels, because they posted photos online. (Not on social media, but on “their websites.”) Johnny does show his humanitarian side during the fight, though, when he helps civilians get to safety.
Our gal Val: Valeria is shown with Reed and Mrs. Deneuve, not saying a word and keeping her secret.
Trivia time: I’m very confused. The publication dates show that Secret Invasion has happened by now, but the Marvel Wiki is insistent that this storyline is before Secret Invasion, and that Hank Pym in this issue is still a Skrull in disguise. Hank’s hologram has a slight green glow, which might be a Skrull Easter egg. I guess I’ll get to Secret Invasion whenever the series gets to it.
David Letterman did a lot of top ten lists about comic book superheroes over the years, but I couldn’t find one specific to Fantastic Four. On the whole, it seems he and his writers favored DC over Marvel, referencing Batman and Superman most often. But, to be fair, Letterman did team up with the Avengers in Avengers #239, part of the infamous Assistant Editors’ Month event. (Conan O’Brien is a known Marvel fan, often praising Dave Cockrum’s art on Uncanny X-Men. When Jay Leno had Kevin Smith as a guest, Leno admitted he didn’t read comics.)
There’s a brown-haired man and blonde woman in Ben’s Fantasticar at the start of the issue, but we later learn that Reed and Sue are elsewhere in NYC at this time. Closer inspection reveals that this man and woman with Ben are Debbie Green’s coworkers, whom we met in issue #554.
Fantastic or frightful? A lot of action, and a lot of moving subplots forward, but not a lot of answers. This issue is big and cinematic, but it has middle-of-the-trade-collection energy.
Next: Hard Rain 2: Rain Harder.
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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.
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