SDCC Round Up DC and Marvel Fight For Supremacy

Welcome back to another edition of Comic Relief! where I talk about all the goings on in the world nerd!

This past week the word on the nerd community's tongue has been Comic-Con. San Diego Comic Con, the biggest nerd convention worldwide, has been the headline for the past week and as yesterday was the last day of big panels it's time for the round up.

Comic-Con is a time for all sorts of people to come out of the woodwork and make some big announcements. However, the big panels that everyone have been salivating over are DC and Marvel. Let me just say this right out the door, DC has made it VERY clear that despite their detractors, if this is their exit it will not be a quite one because they brought their A- game to Comic Con this year. That being said, they weren't the only people to bring game to the convention this year, so let's start it off with representing the little guys.

Image Comics 

Image has been an up and coming name in independent comics. Their penchant for independent story telling and darker heroes are what brought them fame and glory since the 90s. While they lack the block buster success that Marvel and DC have had over the past few yeras, Image still brings quite a bit to the table. Shows like The Walking Dead, or Outcast are just some examples of TV shows that are adapted from Image Comics. The Walking Dead had quite the presence at Comic Con as they released the season 8 trailer, however the big thing I am excited about that Image announced came from Todd Mcfarlane yesterday: Spawn, the iconic hero that is practically the poster child for the Image Brand, is getting a second swing at the silver screen with McFarlane (creator of the character) directing and writing the script. 

Spawn coming back to film was something that had been talked about and over the past few months Todd has had his script out on the market for a Spawn movie. However, his terms and conditions were to be strictly followed: McFarlane would write and direct, however, he would only ask for a minimum of 10 million to make it. Todd is looking to focus on the more supernatural and horror elements of the character and universe, so it will feel less like a Hollywood Superhero film and more like a suspense thriller, which is why the studio he went with feels like a no brainer. Blumhouse Studios has made some of the best thrillers in recent memory, Get Out the smash hit directorial debut of Jordan Peele was produced by them, and Split the somewhat sequel to M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable brought a breath of fresh air to his drowning career as a director with nothing of note being released by the director since Signs. Together McFarlane and Blumhouse studios should be able to put together quite the spectacle in a Spawn film, so that's very exciting. 

Marvel (TV)

This might have been where Marvel really shined this weekend. While their cinematic universe had a cool presentation, I was far more excited to see what Marvel's TV has in store for us. Inhumans released a new trailer, and while the internet has been more than cruel to it for it's sub par visual effects (which I don't know what anyone was expecting with a budget for cable television), however with Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels) and Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones) set against each other as leads I have some pretty high expectations. It also helps that Lockjaw looks adorable.

However, most people are probably far more excited for the Defenders trailer that was released that teams up the 4 Netflix heroes and pits them against Sigourney Weaver and Elektra, promising one hell of a ride. The footage shows a team that not only kicks ass, but has personality to it, which is exciting.

The OTHER Netflix project is probably the one I am most excited about. They released footage of the Punisher. John Bernthal's portrayal was a highlight of the Man without fear's second season, and fans have been clamoring for more details for a long while. Well unfortunately us plebs that didn't get to go to the convention will have to do with a footage description and so here it is:

The footage is broken down into three sequences. In the first, Frank is featured in a flashback teaching his daughter how to play guitar, which cuts to the character in modern day strumming on a guitar by himself. Then there’s a series of scenes showcasing Frank running down bikers in Alabama, using his sniper rifle on a drug cartel in Juárez, Mexico – making the shot from El Paso, Texas – then choking a businessman in a New York City airport bathroom. The man in NYC pleads with Frank for his life, saying, “Please, you’ve killed everyone. The bikers, the cartels, the Cajuns, the Irish, they’re all gone. What’s it going to change if I’m dead?” Frank simply says, “Nothing.” In the final shot of the footage, Frank leaves the NYC bathroom in a typical outfit for the comic book character: black hooded sweatshirt, leather duster, and his vest with the Punisher logo.

Punisher is looking to be a fine edition to the Marvel Netflix family, and hopefully the best adaptation of the character we have had. I can only hope this show is for Punisher, what Logan was for Wolverine.

DC (TV)

DC's TV shows have dominated the superhero TV show market. At Comic Con DC released teasers for all of their big headliners new upcoming seasons: Super-Girl, The Flash, The Arrow, Gotham, and Legends of Tomorrow. However, I don't really feel all of these are worth talking about *cough* Gotham *cough* Legends of Tomorrow *cough*. 

The Arrow was the DC flagship series, allowing for the several spinoffs they have had since then. However, after the show's second season, Arrow has struggled at maintaining its footing, but this past season gained some traction back, and this new season looks like it's keeping the footing it gained. Prometheus was an excellent villain that really did a number on the team last season, and with how this new season is looking the effects are still VERY present. The action looks very solid, and additionally Manu Bennet appears to be back as a regular and that's always a good thing since his interpretation of Slade Wilson is lauded by both fans and critics of the show alike. They did not show much of any footage of team Arrow, other than Dinah Drakes AMAZING new look as the Black Canary, so what their fate was at the end of the last season is still undetermined, but being as half the main cast was there we can be almost certain of their return. Oliver has also been placed into the new role of fatherhood after he is forced to take in his son after the demise of his mother in the most recent season (sorry for spoiling that if you weren't there yet), so seeing him trying to deal with his son who is stricken with PTSD and clearly has some deep seated issues of blaming Oliver for what happened on Lian Yu last season, we are clearly in for one helluva roller coaster ride.

The Flash unlike The Arrow, has gone far past the legacy of it's beginning. Each season has genuinely been a good and new experience, and even at it's lower points it generally doesn't fail to impress. This season trailer is no different. After the finale of season 3 (spoilers here again guys) the crisis that results in the disappearance of Barry Allen has happened. The weight that is felt throughout the trailer is MASSIVE as the entirety of Team Flash mourns the loss of their friend and ally. What's worse is that without him, even with Wally and Cisco suited up, the villains of Central city are taking advantage of his absence and the need for Barry Allen has never been more needed as a new threat comes to the city that is proving too much for Wally and Cisco to handle. The trailer ends with a scarlet speedster zooming through a metro with a light at the end of the tunnel as Cisco is trying to pull Barry from inside the speed force, freeing him of that prison. However, being as set photos have revealed Wally West in Barry's costume, that might not be what we think it is, we'll have to watch to find out more!

Supergirl has been quite the surprise in the DC TV universe. It survived cancellation, moved to another network where it has not only succeeded, but FLOURISHED under new management. Bringing in a CW version of Superman last season was the best way to kick off the series under new management. Her third season is certainly something to look forward to, as the trailer showcases some real development for Kara. It seems this season will be it's "Dark Knight" as the main theme around the season is an identity struggle that Supergirl has. In fact she has a great line that gives me chills: "I tried to be human, but I am not. Kara was a mistake." For a show where the main character has literally been one of my least favorite parts, it's exciting for me because this is the first time Supergirl has shown any real depth to me. She has been surrounded by a glowing cast of characters in Martian Manhunter, Jimmy Olsen, Martian Girl, Superman, Lena Luthor, that she really feels like a lesser character of the series. This kind of struggle is the sort of thing that can really make a character thrive though, so I am excited to see where season 3 takes us!

DC (Young Justice)

Now this honestly could be a part of the last category, but Young Justice is just something that I personally am just super excited about. For those that don't know, Young Justice was an animated series that focused on the sidekicks of heroes in the DC universe (very similarly to Teen Titans). However, due to more mature themes, the show didn't market well to little kids and so the toys didn't sell causing it's cancellation after it's second season. Fortunately, that wasn't all she wrote, as the show culminated quite the fan-base throughout its run and after two years of petitioning, Young Justice got the season 3 it deserved. Young Justice: Outsiders is the official name for the new season and during SDCC we got a look at some new character art for both new characters and original characters from the first 2 seasons who had a bit of an upgrade in design. We were also given an episode count of 26 for the season that will focus heavily on intergalactic meta-human trafficking, and the knowledge that again the show does a 5 year time jump from the second season allowing for new team members to come in and old members to fill in new rolls as mentors. There is a lot to look forward to in this series and if you haven't already, check out the first two seasons, they are pretty damn solid.

Marvel (Thor: Ragnarok,  Black Panther, Antman and The Wasp, and Captain Marvel)

Marvel honestly went small this SDCC. I mean the stuff they released was good, but after the bomb that DC dropped at SDCC this year (which I am saving for last) it's honestly just a shame that they chose to unveil Infinity War footage at D23 as a private showing rather than bring that footage to Hall H and releasing it to the public. However, what they released was still worth talking about, so let's!

First off Marvel released concept art for both Antman and The Wasp and Captain Marvel. Antman and the Wasp is the sequel to the 2014 movie Antman and will star Paul Rudd and Evangelin Lilly as Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne. However, this was honestly the small bit we got for the movie as we pretty much knew what the designs for these characters were going to be, that being said they did announce that Laurence Fisburne has joined the MCU as Bill Foster (alias of other super hero Goliath) and that Janet Van Dyne (the original Wasp) would be joining the fray played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Those are some pretty big hitters to bring to the film and so that is a fairly exciting announcement.

Captain Marvel on the other hand, made some huge waves. Not only did we see BEAUTIFUL concept art for Brie Larsen as the iconic female hero of Marvel, but we got to see that she is fighting SKRULLS! Why is this a big deal some may ask? Well Skrulls are villainous alien creatures that can shape shift into anything seamlessly even copying memories of those whom they have shifted to, but that's not the exciting part. What's exciting are that the Skrulls were introduced in The Fantastic Four! While I doubt that we will see the beloved Marvel team strutting into the Cinematic Universe anytime soon, what this does mean is that as involved as the Skrull are to the Fantastic Four's storyline, that means other cosmic characters like Silver Surfer or Galactus could be reaquired for the cinematic universe as well! Other things we learned about Captain Marvel, going back to that though, are that it is set in the 90s and will also star Nick Fury with an asset we have not seen him have before: His other eye.

Thor: Ragnarok was Marvel's heavy hitter for this SDCC. Marvel released all sorts of new material, from concept art, to a new trailer. The trailer is fantastic. I had doubts after the first trailer that Thor might not be trying to be Thor and they might be trying very hard to make it Gaurdians. The first trailer's jumpy narrative also made it seem like there was far too much going on. Well the comic con sneak peak gave us, along with some excellent footage, more than enough to show the films direction (from a narrative standpoint) and that this would be Thor still, not a Guardians rip off.

Black Panther also  had a heavy presence at the convention. Footage and a new trailer were released detailing Ulysses Klaue's involvement in the film, however this footage has yet to be released to the public. Chadwick Boseman did go into some more detail about T'challa and where his character is mentally in the film. The movie seems to focus a lot on T'challa feeling the growing pains that come with shifting from Prince to Regent as Wakanda's new king. People are testing his judgments and there is a lot of self doubt in T'challa. While they have not graced us with a trailer, they did give us a new cinematic poster that more than makes up for it.

As the footage was released for Infinity War at the D23 conference a little over a week ago, the most recent addition to the Avengers films did not grace us with an appearance this weekend at the convention. However, it seems like Marvel knew people would need a bone to chew on to hold them over so they released 3 posters that when put together make up one really cool poster for the film.

DC (Aquaman, Disparaging Rumors, Justice League, and The Future Line Up)

So Marvel brought a lot to the convention this year, but without the Infinity War footage it honestly (in my opinion) lacked the weight of the DCEU panel. 

It is no secret that DC has had a rough start the past few years in the construction of their film universe. What is worse is that in a post Avengers world, this has made it an item of controversy and as such the rumor mill has run wild about it for the past few years. Ever since Ben Affleck's casting as the Batman was made, fans have loved to hate on the franchise and with the opening films of the franchise leaving much to be desired, people have listened to hearsay far more than they had before. However, the DC Hall H panel put down a very nasty rumor right off the bat (no pun intended.... or maybe it was). Ben Affleck came forward about rumors that he was looking to leave the role of Batman. Affleck had this to say of the rumor:

Ben Affleck is The Batman and he is here to stay as long as we'll have him. This is a relief as his performance in 2016's Batman vs Superman is considered to be one of the film's silver linings. In fact, despite the film's mixed reviews, a good deal of fans consider Ben Affleck to have given the best  live action performance as the Dark Knight (myself included).

This was not all DC had to offer of course, as the panel started off with Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) rushing out with his Aquaman trident to release footage for his upcoming solo film: Aquaman. Here is the footage description:

We open on a boat – a French fisherman thinks he’s caught a big fish. Of course, he didn’t. The boat is thrust forward, as whatever he’s caught forces the boat to follow. We then see what the fisherman hooked: a ship, part of an underwater militia. Heck, we even see people riding sharks. Clip ends on Aquaman looking forward at an unseen enemy: “I suppose you want to talk about this?” He then unsheathes his sword: “Neither do I.” 

Jason Momoa also added that the army seen in the trailer belongs to Arthur Curry's brother: Orm better known as the Villain Ocean Master.

That's Ocean Master's Army. Black Manta's got nothing like that. That's my brother. I am going to be fighting my brother. 

Well looks like my prediction about Manta being the main threat of Aquaman: Ahab was wrong, but hey, Ocean Master's a badass and I can't wait to see him kick ass in  the Aquaman standalone film.

Along with Aquaman DC also announced their film slate for the movies they will be pursuing after Aquaman's release in 2018. The list is as follows:

• Shazam (Which will not star Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam as its villain)
• Suicide Squad 2 
• Justice League Dark
• Batgirl 
• Green Lantern Corps 
• The Flash (titled Flashpoint after the famous comic arc) 
• The Batman 
• Wonder Woman 2 

I have been saving the best for last, the finale to the DC Hall H panel was the release of the new Justice League Trailer. This trailer is just so good that honestly describing it is pointless when you can just watch it below:

 The first show of the films villain, tonal changes, some new action sequences, AND Alfred! Easter eggs also pepper their way through the trailer, references to Penguin establish an existing Rogue's gallery for the Bat of Gotham, Steppenwolf mentions the Lanterns (or lack thereof ) as an advantage he can exploit, all sorts of goodies. The trailer really does just a great job of getting you hyped for the movie while not revealing too much of the film's plot.

San Diego Comic Con is over at this point. While I covered the big stuff, I am sure there was stuffed I missed. In fact there are at least a few smaller announcements that I thought would be better to talk about in their own posts so they wouldn't be over shadowed by the action I put up here, so be on the lookout as those are en route as well!

This has been another edition of Comic Relief!  and we will see you again soon! 

Infinity War: Hopes and Expectations

Welcome back to another edition of Comic Relief! where I talk about all the goings on in the world of nerd!

So in the week before Comic-Con, San Diego, Disney held their own convention/press conference called D23. While there were a lot of things they put forward during this: Incredibles 2, or Aladin live action, the real thing that stole the show at the convention was the panel for Avengers: Infinity War. The third installment of the Avengers has had quite the bit of hype backed behind it as it brings together both the Earth Bound heroes that have built the cinematic universe and the cosmic heroes who stole our hearts in both installations of Guardians of the Galaxy, but moreover the film will pit the two groups of heroes against the big bad that has been built since the post credit scene of the very first Avengers: Thanos. Below is the description of the footage released (as they have not released the clip and probably won't anytime soon):

The trailer begins with a passed out and wounded Thor floating in space. Guardians of the Galaxy hit him as they are flying through space in the Milano. He’s stuck to the windshield and Rocket proposes using the windshield wipers to wake him up. Thor is brought into the Milano, wakes up, and says, “Who the hell are you guys?” There’s a cut to Loki holding the Tesseract. Shot of Spider-Man on a bus, arm hair stands up – confirming Spidey sense. Iron Man working with the Guardians. Thanos arrives to battle Avengers. Spider-Man shown wearing new suit from end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Cut to Peter with mask off saying, “I’m sorry,” to Stark. Thanos battling Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, and Iron Man. Shows Captain America in new (Nomad?) suit with a beard. Black Widow is now blonde. Thanos pulls pieces of the moon to Earth to toss at Avengers. Logo.

 So first thing's first, from what it sounds like, this footage was incredible. Honestly, I am a bit jealous that I didn't get to experience it first hand, along with most of the internet. That being said, as great as it sounds, there are some things that didn't make it in the trailer that I hope to be in the movie (Disclaimer notice: I am not going to lie there might be a bit of favoritism toward a star spangled character here, so a lot of these points may have a bit to do with Captain America).

Along Came A Spider

Okay, so there is clearly going to be a lot of Spider-man in this film, which is great. While the trailer only showcases his interactions with one Avenger in particular (understandably so), Tony Stark, there is another I want him to interact with. "Along Came a Spider" is in reference to the very underrated show: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. During this episode, they debut Spider-Man and he is helping Captain America out, and the two working together is magic on screen. Honestly it might be one of my favorite episodes, however, this is not the only or most famous interaction between the two. In fact, the very famous speech that Steve makes during Civil War (that they use as Peggy Carter's Eulogy in Captain America: Civil War) about the importance of standing firm and unflinching on what you see is right, regardless of the views of the public, is a speech he gave to Spider-Man that inspires Spider-man to joining Cap's side of the conflict. While their 30 second encounter in Civil War, bonding over New York is great, it's not what makes these characters work so well. Both Peter and Steve come from a world where values determine right and wrong, they are both very similar in that way and so they naturally mesh well as characters. I think Spider-man might have the most singular crossovers with Cap than any other marvel character (a claim that I will not hold as fact as while there are a LOT of them I am not exactly sure) for that reason. Spidey and Steve are just two kids from the big apple trying to do right be the world and at the end of the day they became who they did because of their understanding of responsibility to giving back to the world. 

I don't usually put 3 images up like this but this whole exchange should be read to really appreciate what I am talking about

An Avengers World

So this is merely a moment in the arc from Johnathan Hickman's 2012 crossover event: Infinity. It's just a badass little moment where the Avengers have led the galaxy to victory and you get this amazing homage to the Iwo Jima photo, except it's a bunch of aliens raising a pole with the Avengers "A" on it, giving meaning that the Avengers is not an exclusionary concept, that all are welcome regardless of country, gender, race, or planet. 

Steve Rogers vs Thanos

This one I feel is a desired moment for essentially the entire comic book community. The amount of times this image from the classic Infinity Gauntlet arc appears on forums and message boards is countless. I feel that of all the things that I put on this list, this is most likely to happen as the Russo brothers (the directors of the film) have such a deep love and understanding of Captain America. This moment is the one where Steve Rogers, despite being very much outclassed by the Mad Titan in terms of raw power, stands to him face to face and declares his defiance. It's one of his most iconic stands in comics, and it is certainly a must have in this movie.

Black Panther Takes Down Dwarf Star

Okay so Black Panther was a show stealing character in Civil War, and his film coming out here in the next year might be one of Marvel's most anticipated features. So, it's understandable that anyone would want some more of the awesomeness taking a part of the third outing of the Avengers. This one is another throwback to Hickman's Infinity, as at the D23 expo they also unveiled the statues of the Black Order, or Cull Obsidian (the name I preferred) who were also introduced in that same 2012 arc. The Cull Obsidian are Thanos' lieutenants and are sent to earth to scour the infinity stones for Thanos. Dwarf Star was sent to Wakanda, where he got taken down single handed by Black Panther. While the Wakandan army took on Dwarf Star's forces, T'challa fought Dwarf star one on one and frankly kicked his ass to an embarrassing degree. I mean the other lieutenants wiped the floor with the people they came across and Dwarf star was forced to retreat by one dude in a Panther costume. Good work T'challa, let's see it in film format now.  

Celestial Drinking Party

So one of my favorite scenes from any Avengers film was in the 2014 sequel Age of Ultron where the Avengers are having a party, having drinking competitions with Stan Lee, and everyone is trying to lift Thor's hammer. It's great to see this team have a personality outside of the whole saving the world bit. If you haven't already been able to tell, I have a lot of love for Johnathan Hickman's Infinity as most of these things on this list are pulled directly from that book. In it there is a scene, in outer space, where Thor approaches a resting Cap with two glasses of presumably alcoholic beverages, and offers a great story on the local populous claiming them too strong for mortal consumption. Thor then says that he replied to the aliens that they didn't know Steve Rogers and offers him a glass. It's touching, it shows the respect that Thor has for his earthly comrades, and again shows the team having a personality, that the job isn't who they are 100 percent of the time. You combine this scene with Guardians of the Galaxy members and you could have a pretty great time with it. 

Last but not least:

Who Will Wield the Shield?

One of the things that is a key proponent to the footage description, is that Steve Rogers is fully bearded and out of his Captain America attire. This has brought many to speculate that he has gone "Nomad" an identity Steve had after the iconic hero ditched his shield due to the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal. However, we also know that Chris Evans will only appear in one more film (minus potential cameos) as Captain America/ Steve Rogers, the question is: What are the Avengers without a Captain America to lead them. Captain America has been the soul of the avengers for so long, that an Avengers without him just doesn't feel right. However, Steve is not the only man to have been Cap, and there are two big stars of these films that have taken up the mantle: Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson. While I have nothing against Sam Wilson, and have actually thoroughly enjoyed the Sam Wilson run as Cap, I believe the more natural choice in terms of Narrative going in full circle would be Bucky. Bucky became Cap in the comics after the death of Steve during Civil War, Steve had written in his will asking Tony to ensure that Bucky not return to the life of the Winter Soldier, and they (Tony and Bucky) could see no better way in ensuring that then having Bucky take up the mantle of his friend and mentor. Bucky led a Secret Avengers team through a lot, including a Skrull invasion and the take down of Norman Osborne's Dark Avengers and H.A.M.M.E.R (S.H.I.E.L.D as run by Norman). With Thanos being the big bad of this film, and with a death toll being expected from this film, there is an opportunity for the next Captain America to take a stand and take the mantle of his predecessors. 

Well this has been another edition of Comic Relief! I hope you enjoyed and we will see you again soon!

Welcome Home Spidey! and a Tribute to Joan Lee

Welcome back to another edition of Comic Relief! where I talk about all the goings on in the world of nerd!
Long time no see everyone! I apologize about my absence from the blog, between a bit of writers block and life being a thing, keeping up with this has been a little bit difficult. Now one of my last posts I talked about a film that brought a breath of life to it's cinematic universe in Wonder Woman. It has only been a few weeks, and while Wonder Woman has certainly dominated the word of mouth. Spider-Man: Homecoming has made it here, and boy is it on another level. It's everything a fan of our friendly neighborhood wall crawler could want in a film. Before I go into detail on it, here is a  brief synopsis of the movie: 2 months after the events of Captain America: Civil War Peter Parker continues his "Stark Internship" via dressing up in his iconic costume and taking on bad guys, and certainly earning the title of "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." However, Peter wants more than that, and so is constantly pushing to be promoted up to the big leagues. This eventually leads him to find an incognito weapons manufacturer that makes weapons out of salvage from things like the Battle of Manhattan (the stand against the Chitauri invaders that the Avengers made some 8 years before) led by the mysterious Vulture. While he initially tries to ask for backup, Peter takes this as his opportunity to prove himself as a ready and responsible hero.

To start off here I want to praise some character performances. First of all, hats off to Tom Holland who brings our favorite Web-head to the screen better than pretty much anyone before. What Toby Maguire did right as Peter and Andrew Garfield did right as Spider-Man, those two performances kinda meet head to head in Tom Holland's rendition of the character. Peter is awkward and quirky, and while that does occasionally make it's way into his Spider-Man, there is a confidence and even enjoyment to him being in that suit. Michael Keaton, you are truly outstanding in taking a character like The Vulture, and not only making him menacing, but giving him a measure of depth the likes of which we haven't seen in a villain since Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus in the second film of Raimi's franchise. Jacob Batalon is the best friend we all wish we had and his chemistry with Holland is outstanding. In all honesty I could list pretty much the entirety of this cast, with very few exceptions, in their outstanding portrayals in the film. As usual Marvel proves once again that they are exceptional at having an eye for undiscovered or under utilized talent as the movie creates an incredible atmosphere that brings the MCU to life in a way it hasn't in quite a while, which brings me to the thing I want to talk about next: Tone and Message of the movie.
The Tone of this film is perfect. I realize that what I am about to say has been said before, but I feel like it is quite honestly the best description of the film in general.  This movie takes the style of a John Hughes film (Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles) and plops it right into the Cinematic Universe of Marvel. What is so great about this movie is that it is just as much a super hero film as it is a coming of age drama. Having Peter Parker actually DEAL with High School was something that was never really focused much in prior films. We always had snip its of that aspect, but it has never played an integral role to the film the way it does here. In fact, Peter's High school experience is the crux of the film's plot as it uses the experience with the Vulture to remind him of both his age and the weight of responsibility that comes with being an adult. This probably sounds very familiar as a quote a certain uncle once said to him: "with great power comes great responsibility," and this message is cleverly the entire point of the film. For the entire film Spider-Man is so focused on gaining more responsibility, trying to become an Avenger, that he is missing out on life as a High Schooler. Ultimately this film is the story of Spider-Man realizing that going through life too fast isn't a good thing, and that it's okay to be a kid. Uncle Ben's words carry their weight throughout the entire film without being uttered even once.

Now the last thing I want to gush about for the film is the score, because they nailed it. This movie was a lot of things, but most importantly it's the first MARVEL Spider-Man film. So what better way to show that by paying homage to his legacy through sound. The main theme of the film keeps the melody of the old 60s cartoon while incorporating the heavy strings and brass that Danny Elfman had in the Sam Raimi films while also incorporating some digital elements that James Horner brought to the Amazing Spider-Man franchise. I bring this up because I feel that it is probably going to be the most overlooked thing about this movie. Don't get me wrong, I totally get why. There is so much good in there that it's just easy to forget the sounds in the background especially when you are so busy appreciating the things that are much more in your face.

As far as weak points are concerned, I don't think that Spider-Man: Homecoming has any blaring ones. However, what I will say is that it does lack a moment like the harrowed "No Man's Land" sequence in Wonder Woman, however, I am not exactly sure that is a bad thing in and of itself. Spider-Man is supposed to be a small time hero, someone who "looks out for the little guys" as it's put in the movie. This also isn't his origin story, so a large defining moment like the "No Man's Land" sequence is not even really all that necessary. His acts of helping people and stopping small crime throughout the movie really illustrate what Spider-Man is really all about, and that's fine!
Before I go, this post has a little bit of a somber end. Yesterday, while we had the premiere of an excellent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee lost someone that was the center of his own. Joan Lee, Stan Lee's loving wife for 70 years, passed away. This name doesn't mean a lot to the average person, but it should. One of my first blog posts that I wrote was in celebration of Stan Lee. In it I detail that there was a time during which Marvel was not publishing books about heroes, but instead did pulp horror and romance books, and this work almost made Stan Lee leave comics. However, eventually he made a risky decision to publish a hero book called the Fantastic Four, which would of course bring a revival of Super Heroes and spring up the Silver Age of comics. There was a voice behind that decision though, and that voice was Joan. In the TV special by ABC: "Marvel: From Pulp to Pop," Stan Lee had this to say of it:

"I told my wife Joan that I wanted to quit, but she told me that before I made that decision, that I should write a book the way I would have wanted to write it, and so I did."

Initially I had intended to write this as a separate piece altogether, however, I felt my tribute to her should be attached to this review, because without her support of her husband, without those words, this movie, and this character who has been a source of inspiration for so many, would not exist. Rest In Peace Joan Lee, thanks for supporting your husband and being the source of inspiration that birthed a universe that has changed the lives of so many.

This has been another edition of Comic Relief! we will see you again soon!