The Dawn of the Real Superheroes?

Thanks to Kick-Ass (issue 8 is finally out, trailers are being released and of course our own Joshiebear reviewing a test screening cut of the flick) the concept of “Real” superheroes is going to start being mainstream real soon.

But, Kick-Ass isn't the only game in town.

So besides reading Kick Ass or waiting till April of next year to go to your local cineplex, you can try these other movies and comics to wet your appetite of the “real” superhero genre.

-The Black Pearl (1996)

Written by Mark Hamill (yep, THAT Mark Hamill) and Eric Johnson, artwork by Bruce Patterson and H.M. Baker, this Dark Horse comic was about a troubled man who finds himself in the wrong place and the wrong time after he accidently saves an abducted woman. The media turns blows his act up to be something he's not, making him sound like a hero. He decides to try to live up with the name and become The Black Pearl.

-Mirageman (2007)

Think of this as the low budgeted Chillean cousin of Kick-Ass.

Check out the trailer...

Yes, it may look silly, but the film has gathered some amazing reviews. If your willing to have an open mind, you might be surprised with this one.

-Special (2006)

Another low-budget (you know what, just get use to those words for the next two items here) that has a neat twist on the “normal guy getting powers” concept.

-Captian Blasto (2008)

A webseries that askes the question “Why don't I just HIRE guys to pretend to be the bad guys?”

-Defendor (2010)
Looking like the low rent Batman to Specials low rent Superman, this has Woody Harrelson already kicked ass as Tallahasse in Zombieland last year.

This film will be getting a small release THIS month! February 26 at the Landmark theater in Los Angeles and then it will role out to other cities till it hits DVD this April.

And these are only just beginning.

Already in production is a movie called “Super” thats going to be written and directed by James Gunn (Slither, PG Porn) and staring Rainn Wilson (The Office)
(picture here)

If you wanna read more about it check out Gunn's blog.
"":http://www.jamesgunn.com/2009/09/10/my-movie-super-with-rainn-wilson-ellen-page-and-liv-tyler/

It seems like the “real” superhero genre has been around for a while, but the real question is....are these movies based on truth more then we like to admit?

Should we be looking forward to meeting such real life heroes such as
RAZORHAWK?

Well, at least there's cool stories out there this. Cool FICTIONAL stories...are you listening RAZORHAWK?

WCAH Episode 11: That's a Were-Steamer!!!

In this episode, we discuss Blackest Night #1, Deadpool stuff, SDCC, Twilight hatred, X-Men: Necrosha, Dark Reign, New Avengers, Blabbity blah blah...IT'S COMICS!!!

We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com (I know I say a different account name in the podcast, i made a new one!!!)

West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 11

DC vs Mortal Kombat.....REALLY?!?

ZOMG! A DC VIDEOGAME IS COMING OUT!!!
It's DC vs Mortal Kombat.
.....
WHAT? There really isn't a 'Happy' part to this one. Mortal Kombat hasn't been relevent or popular in almost 10 years, and aside from Rayden (spelling? don't care enough to check) everyone else who's part of the MK crew would get their asses kicked in a fight against DC characters. Ugh. Think about it. When's the last time you played a good DC oriented game? Want to hear MY answer? NEVER. I have never played a good DC game. Yeah, some of the Batman games were alright when I was a kid, but nothing special.

Anyway, reports say they're going to magically make DC characters such as Superman crappier with a Magic Handicap. All I really have to say is...this is dumb and I hate them for knowing that nerds like myself will at the very least go out and rent it (not buying, I refuse to do that) to indulge my morbid sense of curiosity. Well, maybe we'll be able to play online and one of you guys out there in whereveryouareland can get on and kick my 'Reptile' ass with any number of DC characters that'll make the game. In my opinion it would be smarter for them to do sort of a Marvel Nemesis take and just MAKE UP characters to fight our heroes. Ugh. That game was crappy, but it's sure to be better than this thing. Ok, bitch-session: OVER.

Walking Dead #48 Review / Editorial

Written By: ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art & Cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

Ok, so I'm going to pretend that you've never heard anything about this book and just hit this review running.

THE WALKING DEAD IS SO FREAKING GOOD. ROBERT KIRKMAN IS A MONSTER AT WRITING COMICS WHEN HE'S NOT AT MARVEL! Ok enough with the caps, but man, whenever I pick this book up, I always set it down with a lasting impression sitting inside of me. There are few other comic titles that can stir up my emotions so well with characters that I have no other choice but to love and hate. This issue is without a doubt the most climactic and incredible issue in the series' history. I don't want to spoil anything, because man, this thing is chock-full of things just begging to be spoiled, so I'm going to go ahead and avoid specific plot details and just try to critic the book from a writer's point of view. It should be interesting since I'm nowhere close to being a writer (I pause and reread that last sentence, realizing that I occasionally write for this site and wonder whether or not I should feel like an idiot for writing it...). Anywhoo, in this issue, Kirkman displays a very efficient way to keep you interested in a comic that very well could have just dried up by now, much like a zombie years after the crazy government gases reanimated it from whatever resting place it was chilling in. He's shaking things up. He's killing people (left and right I might add...don't look at me that way, it's not technically a spoiler, I didn't say WHO died). He's doing what so many of our hero comic cannot, which is becoming routine. Since the series is his to do with as he sees fit, he can do what needs to be done to make it interesting. Since the story started, there have been so many shifts in the status quo, and just when I thought things were gearing towards being somewhat comfortable, and issue like this comes along and literally slaps you in the face for being so accustomed to comic stories where nothing truly changes, and if somebody tries to change something, the retcon timer starts ticking until the status quo is re-established.

Ok, on to the next thing that needs to be addressed. Character develpment. Kirkman is so good at making you love his characters. As I have read these most recent issues, I've almost felt as if I myself lived in the prison sanctuary our 'family' of survivors has taken residence in. I've glimpsed into their worries, their happy moments, their day to day hum-drum of getting by in a zombie infested world and their moments of incredible crisis. Kirkman takes the appropriate amount of time to really show you his characters, to build a beautiful house of cards and makes you forget just how fragile it truly is, and then writes an issue like this that seems to just turn a leaf-blower our way and force you to just watch the cards scatter and flail about. By the same token, he knows how to make you HATE a character as well. Any readers who have read any of the last year's issues can (or should) sympathize with me when I state that "The Governor" is one of the dirtiest, most awful villains in recent comic history. Now sure, it's easy to write a monster that does awful things, but it's not easy to do it well. Just compare and contrast The Gov' with a 90's 'extreme' violent psychopath like, say, Carnage. He was a killer who massacred people, but man....he was sooo gay. Wheras The Gov' isn't just a killer (in an albeit somewhat roundabout fashion), he's a liar. He's a puppetmaster taking advantage of those foolish enough to put him in charge. He's more evil in his abuse of trust and leadership than any simple killer symbiote can ever be (haha, again, after reading that, should I feel like an idiot?).

If you haven't read any of this series, please do yourself a favor and go pick up the trades. If you can't do that, at the very least you should go to a book store, park your butt in the aisle along with that dorky guy reading anime (....or 30 year old guy named omar...either way) and start reading son. And after you've gotten all caught up, you can sit back with me and watch Kirkman just pull out another deck of cards and get to work, knowing that at any moment, he's GOING to blow it all down again, and love him for it. +A

...oh yeah...the art's purty too.