Review- Deadpool Kills Deadpool #2

Marvel Comics/$2.99

            Deadpool is progenitor of all things, and thus must end all reality. If all worlds must end, then so must all Deadpools. That’s the premise of Deadpool Kills Deadpool, and this limited series is so far full of all the insanity you’d expect from a Deadpool title to the nth degree. Deadpools from all the various alternate realities have taken sides and engaged in an all-out war to murder each other. Violent, witty, and truly zany, Deadpool Kills Deadpool delivers the goods as only Cullen Bunn can.

     Deadpool Kills Deadpool #2 sees our Deadpool and an assortment of alternate ‘Pools land (er, crash, really) their inter-dimensional spacecraft at their secret headquarters, only to find the remainder of their forces slaughtered. Evil Deadpool and his team, fresh from murdering the good ‘Pool’s allies, confront Deadpool and his new team-mates and one of the craziest battles in recent comic history ensue. Highlights include the introduction of a Pandapool and the final pages of the book, where we see Galactuspool. The Watcher, who also happens to be the multiverse’s biggest Deadpool fan, turns out to be a double-agent, as he thinks all of the various Deadpools are “so cool” and can’t seem to choose a side. All in all, this mini-series is turning out to be an absolute pleasure to read and I can’t wait for the next issue!

    Cullen Bunn is an amazing writer, and he has such a good grasp on Deadpool and what the character is all about that I wish Marvel would give him a regular Deadpool assignment. Although the monthly Deadpool series is just as good, Deadpool Kills Deadpool is so much fun to read that I want the next issue to be released immediately!

     Bunn’s excellent script is illustrated by Salva Espin (art) and Veronica Gandini (colors), with lettering by Joe Sabino.  The cinematic art has a style that compliments the story very well, and the vibrant colors seem to pop off the page. Overall, a hilarious and beautifully illustrated book, and I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds!

Reviewed by Shawn Strawbridge

 

Review: Batman, Incorporated #13

    

DC Comics/$2.99

            Grant Morrison’s run on Batman, Incorporated has been an impressive run, weaving an odd tale of a franchised superhero identity and taking readers on a rollercoaster ride that only Morrison is capable of. In the last thirteen issues, Morrison has given us a new legion of Batman-inspired characters, killed Robin (Damian Wayne), and now shown us the fall of Talia Al Ghul. Batman, Incorporated #13 marks the end of this current series and story arc and sets the stage for a revenge tale unlike any before it.

 

     The epic final showdown between Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne is a battle royale not to be missed by any follower of any of the current Batman titles. Gotham City is a warzone and the Batcave serves as the stage for the duel to the death between the Devil’s Daughter and the Detective, and although this book sees the end of Talia Al Ghul, it is surprisingly not by Batman’s hand. James Gordon’s suspicions about Bruce Wayne are all-but-confirmed as the latter tells the former exactly what he expects to hear during a police interrogation following the final conflict. Finally, a revenge ploy of epic proportions against the Batman is hatched in the book’s final pages. This is an issue that is both a satisfying conclusion to a great story arc and a bridge to the future of both Batman, Inc. and the Al Ghul family.

 

     As usual, Grant Morrison’s solid script is illustrated by the excellent Chris Burnham, with colors by Nathan Fairbairn and lettering done by Steve Wands and Travis Lanham. Overall, issue #13 is an excellent read by a great creative team and a fitting finale to the first volume of Batman, Incorporated. The first trade has recently been released of this series, and if you’ve been out of the loop with this run, then I suggest you pick up the collection and the recent back issues and catch up. If this title comes back, it’ll be with a vengeance!

Reviewed by Shawn Strawbridge

 

Review: A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

New Line Cinema/1984/Directed by Wes Craven

Available on DVD/Blu-Ray

            Years before Peter Jackson’s excellent Lord Of The Rings trilogy made New Line Cinema a household name, the company was best known for its other “cash cow” franchise- the Nightmare On Elm Street series. The first entry in the series, A Nightmare On Elm Street, came along in 1984, laying the foundation and setting the standard for cinematic “slasher” films for years to come.

            Written and directed by Wes Craven (the same man responsible for bringing us The Hills Have Eyes, Last House On The Left, Swamp Thing, and the Scream franchise, to name a few), A Nightmare On Elm Street may seem like a typical boogeyman tale on the surface, but dig deeper and you’ll find more meaning in this seminal horror classic. Subversive and scary, the film speaks volumes about the nature of dreams, individual inner strength, vigilante justice, and conquering one’s fears. It’s certainly a horror film, to be sure, but it’s a smart horror film, and that may be the main reason why it’s still talked about and referenced today.

 

            A Nightmare On Elm Street centers around teenager Nancy Thompson, who, along with her group of friends, is plagued by nightmares of a horribly-burned, razor-fingered boogeyman named Freddy Krueger. One by one, Nancy’s friends are hunted, tormented, and killed in their dreams by Freddy, which causes them to die horrible deaths in their sleep. Ultimately, the film climaxes in a duel to the death between Nancy and Freddy, where she must make the choice to either give in to her fears or turn her back on them.

     A great film with a stellar young cast- the excellent (and fan-favorite) Heather Langenkamp plays Nancy, leading the cast of teenagers (which also included Johnny Depp in his first film role, as Nancy’s boyfriend Glen).  A Nightmare On Elm Street introduced us to yet another immortal film monster in the form of Freddy Krueger, the role that actor Robert Englund is best known for. Englund played the maniacal Freddy for six Nightmare sequels, a television series (the short-lived Freddy’s Nightmares), and one crossover (the fan-favorite Freddy Vs. Jason), truly making the role his own. Writer/director Wes Craven is known as the “Father of Freddy”, and this is the film that started it all. He returned to contribute his delightfully deranged talents to two more films in the series, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Part 3- The Dream Warriors and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, and his three entries are widely considered to be the best of the franchise.

    

     A Nightmare On Elm Street is still worth revisiting today. Like all films from the eighties, it has aged, but endearingly well. The same cannot be said for the film’s sequels, however, but we’ll save that for another review. A Nightmare On Elm Street was remade in 2010 and although it was a noble effort and is a good film in its own right, for my money it lacks the charm and scares of the original version, which stands tall as a great horror classic and a worthy addition to any film collection. Freddy Forever!

Reviewed by Shawn Strawbridge