Tag: Thor

I can’t understand why comic book movies have gone downhill, but they really have sucked as of late

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Anyone who follows me know that I am a diehard comic book geek. I have been reading and collecting comic books since the 70s. I started with John Romita’s run on Spider-Man and Jim Lee’s Legion of Superheroes and graduated to Chris Claremont’s X-Men and John Byrne’s Alpha Flight and more. As a young man, I wanted to be a comic book artist and creator like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but sadly, my artistic talent wasn’t up to par. So, I took up the pen and typewriter to be a writer. So, my criticism of the recent string of comic book movies mainly comes from the writing.

First and foremost, they stray from the source material. I think everyone was excited to hear that The Flash movie was going to based on the Flashpoint comic series by Geoff Johns. However, what we got was hardly that. Yes, bringing back Michael Keaton as Batman for one last go around and then the cameo by George Clooney was fun, but it’s not enough. Flashpoint was gritty, unrelenting in its presentation, and we got none of that. We all wanted the Thomas Wayne Batman, filled with anger and regret, but all we got was more humor-filled “shtick” from two wise-cracking Barry’s.

Humor seems to be the driving factor behind these movies nowadays. It’s no longer a serious movie with bits of humor to move it along but instead a comedy movie with a few dramatic moments. Compare the first Thor movie to Thor: Love and Thunder. Jane Foster dying from cancer is a serious topic that the comics handled beautifully and yet we got this running joke about Thor being jealous of Mjolnir picking Jane over him.

I personally loved Black Adam with the introduction of my favorite superhero team, the Justice Society (the Smallville episode will always be my favorite). That was the best representation of Hawkman and Doctor Fate EVER on the screen, movie or TV, but it still lacked in the essential storytelling. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson could not carry this film. Then, you ruin it by setting up a Superman/Black Adam showdown before telling the world that Henry Cavil is OUT as Superman. Are you stupid or what?

At least Marvel has some continuity in the MCU. Yes, the Multiverse of Madness was disappointing, but then Spider-Man: No Way Home brought us the Spiderverse we wanted with Tobey, Andrew, and Tom and an “almost” Sinister Six. They have ways of doing something terribly wrong before auto-correcting itself into something right. Quantumania followed by GOTG Vol. 3 are good examples of how Marvel seems to get away with it.

But again, this could all be rectified with better attention to the writing. The Avengers movies had it all, from bits of comedy to serious gritty parts, scenes to cheer on, and scenes that brought us to tears. It can be done, and has been done, you just need to get back to the original formula. Stop trying to shove a hundred “Easter Eggs” into every film and just give us a good movie that we, as comic book fans, will enjoy with all the noobs.

Tell these directors and producers to STOP trying to improve on the original idea with their own. It doesn’t work. Can you imagine if Thor: Ragnarok was actually a prelude to World War Hulk and we got an actual badass arena match in true fashion to the comic? That could have been so much better.so

So please, before we get too deep into James Gunn’s new DCEU and Phase Six of the MCU, let’s sit down with a box of our favorite comic books and reread them. You’ll find the wisdom of Stan Lee bringing you back to nirvana once again.

Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds.

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—are available online at Amazon and other booksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Lulu and other booksellers.

Cross over The River of Souls in a fantasy novella and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates from Curious Corvid Publishing. The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel and The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series, are coming soon. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

Marvel’s “What If?” was way ahead of its time

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What If? #10 asked the question “What if Jane Foster found the hammer of Thor?” and that question was answered in 2014 when she picked up the hammer and became the God of Thunder.

Marvel’s “What If?” is a new animated series on Disney+ but it actually began more than 40 years ago in the comics. I have been reading What If? since its inception in 1977 and, to be honest, the writers were way ahead of their time. In fact, they foretold the future of Marvel Comics in more ways than one.

What If? is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics whose stories explore how the Marvel Universe might have unfolded if key moments in its history had not occurred as they did in mainstream continuity. Since What If? debuted in 1977, the comics have been published in 13 series as well as occasional stand-alone issues. As in the Disney+ animated series, the stories of the inaugural series (1977–1984) feature the alien Uatu, the Watcher as a narrator. From his base on the Moon, Uatu observes both Earth and alternate realities.

These early alternate realities, for the most part, actually came true in the Marvel Universe. In What If? #1, they wondered what would have happened if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four (an offer made in Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 1963). Years later, Spider-Man (and Wolverine) joined a new Fantastic Four team in Fantastic Four #347, while Spider-Man also joined the roster as part of the Future Foundation in The Amazing-Spider-Man #657. Prophecy becomes reality . . .

In What If? #10, the question was asked about Jane Foster picking up the hammer of Thor, something she did 30 years later and will be portrayed in the upcoming Marvel movie “Thor: Love and Thunder” as well. The early What If? comics were way ahead of their time. What If? #2 wondered if the Hulk still had Bruce Banner’s brain, something we’ve seen both in the comics and in the movies. You can find the complete list of original What If? comics on Wikipedia, and most of them have come to pass in today’s comics or movies.

Captain Carter from What If? Disney+ animated series and cosplay at MetroCon 2021 (cosplayer unknown).

Now, we have a new What If? on Disney+, and I am a fan. Having Jeffery Wright voice the Watcher was a brilliant choice as his stoic voice lends to the character. And, we’re only three episodes in and the changes have been remarkable. We’ve already seen evidence of that as cosplayers are donning the suit and shield of Captain Carter. That’s always a sign of a successful introduction of a character, whether it be anime, comics, television, or movie. I’m waiting patiently for T’Challa (Black Panther) as Star Lord in cosplay, but I know its coming soon. That was a great final scene and tribute to Chadwick Boseman. Every episode seems to have a great sense of both the Marvel Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They honor the legacy of these comics while bringing new life to the MCU.

That’s the great thing about the concept of the multiverse. It brings us a variety of characters that we know and love but in the many different forms and representations. If you thought “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was brilliant, this series keeps getting better and better. I really think Marvel has taken a bold step forward with their Disney+ series, Loki and Wandavision both, and “What If?” is another new chapter.

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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers. Get ready for The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series, coming soon, and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates.

What did I just see? “Avengers: End Game” was the best superhero movie EVER

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Image result for avengers endgame

No spoilers but plenty of accolades! Oh my frick’n God, what did I just see? This has to be a GREATEST superhero movie ever. Yeah, I know, I’ve said that before. But each time, a new movie comes out, it overtakes the last one that was previously the greatest. Just the final battle scene was enough to tag this as THE GREATEST.

It’s not enough to undo the snap, Thanos’ universe-ending action at the end of INFINITY WAR. There were plenty of clues in IW that led us to what was happening in ENDGAME. I know that Marvel has said that SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME is the final movie of Phase 4, but make no mistake, it’s really this one.

This movie had it all… Comedy, drama, action, adventure, etc. Sometimes, I think they go a little too far with the comedy. The Ant-Man jokes were expected, but EG went back to THOR: RAGNAROK to give us Thor/Hulk as the “straight man” in an ongoing comedy routine throughout the whole movie. It was funny, but to me, out of character for these two original Avengers.

I will admit that I cried a couple of times in this movie, and I don’t normally expect to cry when watching a superhero movie. This movie gave you unforgettable moments that you need a handkerchief or box of tissues. One person was so shaken after watching this movie, they had to be hospitalized, or so I read.

I will say one, kind of, spoiler, but this is something that has been suggested from the beginning of the EG rumormill. There is time travel involved and this gave us the opportunity to see characters that have died in previous movies. That made it a lot of fun to see these great characters one last time. There was also another great Stan Lee cameo, so the “Godfather of Marvel Comics” still lives in these movies. Excelsior!

After just watching CAPTAIN MARVEL last month, I expected her to have a bigger role in the movie, and to be honest, I was disappointed that she wasn’t there a lot. Her character in the MCU seems to be more focused on the galaxy rather than Earth, and this movie demonstrated that. Still, when she was there, she kicked ass, and she led a female superheroine group that took to the forefront in one scene.

Lastly, I would like to add that this was the end of a journey for many of the actors involved. It’s not clear where we’re going from here in the MCU. We know they’ll be sequels to Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain Marvel in the future, as well as a Black Widow prequel and The Eternals, maybe Nova too. With the acquisition of Fantastic Four and X-Men from Fox, there may be more there too.

The future awaits and “Avengers: Endgame” set it up beautifully.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Fantasy? Sci-fi? Or both? Which is better? Just answer the damn question!

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60604e38e26fa970bcb98e76a7d0a552--fantasy-fairies-fantasy-artMagic vs. Science has been a question that fantasy and sci0fi writers have been pondering for quite a long time. The usual trope involves people using science in an under developed country which, to them, seems like magic. I’ve seen this used on episodes of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and various other television shows and movies. It is even considered “one and the same” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as told in Thor.

Science or magic? Or both, for that matter. Anime has a penchant for using magic to power technology, i.e. Knights and Magic, Tenchi Muyo: War on Geminar, The Irregular at Magic High School, and In Another World with my Smartphone, just to name a few. I love to see magic used in this way, it really has a cyber-punk/steampunk feel to it.

AdventureGuideI remember an old Role Playing Game (RPG) I played back in the 80’s (no jokes or comments about my  age please) called Rifts. The backstory involved a post-apocalyptic Earth where the ley lines have unlocked dimensional rifts, the rebirth of magical creatures in our modern world, along with the reemergence of mysterious locations like Atlantis, Lemuria, and other mythical places. I remember this picture in the player’s guide of an Elf, wearing cyber-punk tech, trying to hack into a computer. It really covered all angles of magic/technology. That’s the type of genre convergence I like to see.

The way to think about this is as a source of energy. Magic is, in all practical purposes, energy. You can call it mana, psions, or PPE (Potential Psychic Energy per Rifts), it’s still magic. Spells allow magicians, mages, magic casters, etc., to manipulate this energy through spells. In some ways, the use of technology gives the wizards a way to cast their spells faster, more accurate, and more powerful than traditional casting.

The best example for this is in the anime The Irregular at Magic High School. I know, I talk a lot about anime in my blogs, but that’s really to the broad range of genres they use. Anyway, in this anime, magical power is measured in psions or “thought particles” and use Casting Assistance Devices, or CADs, to make it easier to cast certain spells. The CADs are preprogrammed with spells that allows the caster the ability to use spells in rapid succession.

In the movies, the MCU has changed the way we look at mythology. The Asgardians in Thor use magic and science in the same breath. The ability to access this energy lies in their immortal life. When Thor first appeared in the comics, it was told as the ancient Gods coming to the modern age, nothing more. This was retold when the MCU was created and it made so much more sense. These are not beings born of magic, but a race of inter-dimensional beings who used magic to power their science.

“Your Ancestors Called it Magic, but You Call it Science. I Come From a Land Where They Are One and the Same.” — Thor Odinson, Thor

It’s a fine line to walk, especially as a writer. With magic, you can do practically anything in your stories. Magic is an unpredictable and wide-ranging power. However, when it comes to science, anything you create or imagine, you need to base it in science. Think about Star Trek. When the late, great Gene Roddenberry created his series, he wanted to base the technology on practical science. He even spoke with physicists and other scientists to ensure he was basing his stories on what technology in the future could be. I mean, from Star Trek, we got cell phones, digital music and movies, and other tech we see today… And it only took less than 50 years to go from science fiction to science fact.

Steve Jobs once noted that his inspiration for the iPod came from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where music was played by the computer. This is how writers can inspire. Think back to Jules Verne. From 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to From the Earth to the Moon, submarines and rockets became a reality. Although, I’m still waiting for my H.G. Wells time machine.

As writers, we can let our imagination go and create anything and everything possible. Whether it be science or magic, or both… Use whatever you can to bring your story to life.

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51nd6H6sATL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_SKU-000941753Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a book/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a book/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon.