Deadpool.

(Alternative title: Why Deadpool and His Red Suited Booty Deserve Everything)

It’s safe to say that Deadpool is one of the highest anticipated movies of 2016, and with damn good cause.

The Deadpool movie has been in the works for over 11 years now – work on the movie began in 2004. 2004. That is an insane amount of time for a movie to remain in development hell, especially a movie that was so wanted and begged for by the fandom.

There were multiple issues with Deadpool and the studios that were interested – could we make it an R-Rating? How do we not repeat the same mistakes? How do we introduce all these elements from the Deadpool comics, namely his fourth-wall breaking? Over and over again, Deadpool seemed to hit a brick wall. IMDB would tease dates, at one point reading 2014 before resorting back to those Godawful “????” they put in the place when nothing is decided. It honestly looked like fans were never going to get this damn movie, and they seemed to accept it bitterly.

Until that faithful day in July 2014. When some sweet, beautiful, adonis of a human being leaked the Deadpool test footage online. You know the one I mean.

That’s right. And try as they might to get it off the internet (and oh, they did try.) no one seemed to be able to stop it – this awesome two minute long piece of everything fans have been begging for. So Blur Studio did what anyone would do in that situation – they said “fuckit.” and released this footage officially.

And thus, from there, the high demand, the excitement and the now renewed desire of the fans became too much to ignore, and little more than a month later it was announced that Deadpool was officially in production.

And now here we are. It’s February 2016. And Deadpool has broken a tonne of Box Office Records in North America, including 20th Century Fox opening weekend (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith held it before then, let’s just all think about that.), R-Rated Opening Weekend, and R-Rated Opening Weekend (last held by The Matrix: Reloaded). And let me tell you: it goddamn deserves it.

It’s not just the sheer amount of time it took to even get this movie made (11 years. Most pets don’t live that long. I was twelve for Christ’s sake.) but the marketing strategies were pretty damn great.

You already knew from the go that Deadpool was not going to be like other superhero movies – it was going to be a lot cruder. From the moment they revealed the costume in a photoshoot which involved Ryan Reynolds lying on a bearskin rug to the 12 Days of Deadpool, to awesome PSA’s like this;

I can safely say Deadpool had a solid, clear marketing strategy from day one. It was so perfectly executed, and because of that, and because of the sheer perfection of the film itself – it deserves every record it broke upon release.

And hey, if you want to know exactly how awesome the film is, my lovely friend wrote a pretty sick review here.

Fare thee well,

Fran

 

(All images were taken from the official Deadpool Facebook Page!)

Why “Saga” Should be on Your Shelf

Saga is a graphic novel series, written by Brian. K Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples. It’s an epic fantasy, sci-fi tale, with 31 single issues published, five trade issues and a deluxe trade edition coming shortly.

And it is possibly the best graphic novel you will read.

Saga is a tale of Alana and Marco, two lovers who come from two different species who are currently at war. Alana met Marco whilst guarding him in a war camp, and soon after, freed him and ran away with him. And this tale begins, when Alanna gives birth to their daughter, Hazel – who is the narrator.

This might sound very Romeo & Juliet but let me promise you that it is anything but. Because their eloping and the birth of their child has caused a political outcry that’s spread far and wide – and now the whole universe is after the child who was not meant to exist.

A quick warning before I continue – this story is probably not recommendable for anyone under the age of 18. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to police what you read, but just be warned there is a lot of sex, a lot of nudity, and a lot of gore. It’s Game of Thrones in space up in here.

Saga is, first of all, a very unique premise. Sure, everyone has heard the “forbidden lovers” story multiple times, but the execution of the story is what makes it so original and special. These species are literally at war. And, to top it off, one of the species belongs to a satellite that used to orbit the planet of the other species. That’s damn intense.

The writing of this story is great. Hazel is a very blunt, honest narrator who doesn’t try and frame her parents and their mistakes (and boy, do they make a lot.) as excusable or okay. She’s very much a narrator who grew up aware of the war and the political implications of her birth, and she’s very blunt, frank and absolutely hilarious. And it’s very strange but refreshing to watch her narrate this story, when during the tale she is very much a tiny child that you watch grow up.

What I also love about this story, are the themes dealt with and the way in which they’re handled. Thus far, in the five trade issues I’ve read, we deal with child trafficking, prostitution, drugs, addiction, domestic violence, childbirth, sex (lots of it.), monsters, war, politics and love – and I imagine, so much more. The story also handles these issues with a lot of tact and a great moral compass – everything is handled bluntly, honestly, but with a lot of tact about it. The story knows how it needs to frame these issues, and that’s what makes it all the more engaging and exciting for me. I especially love that with this war, the two actual planets of the Waring species are entirely peaceful – but the rest of the galaxy has inserted itself into this war and keeps it thriving and new.

Character-wise, this story is a full cast of completely fascinating, well-thought out, complex persons who are all interesting. I don’t find a single character boring, even if I find their actions deplorable. They’re all well written with intense motives. Even the side characters are a delight to read about! Once again, Hazel’s narrative helps with framing a lot of them – Hazel, although knowing they were enemies of her parents, frames them as people who had their own issues, morals and instructions when chasing their goals. Even when they’re messed up, twisted and say downright messed up things, ultimately they are real and they do have emotions and ways you can sympathise with them. It’s honestly fantastic and refreshing.

Fiona Staples illustrations are also (no pun intended. Maybe.) out of this world. They’re so beautiful, sharp and well laid out. Every page is an absolute delight to read, with jaw-dropping scenery and characters who look so unique and suit the writing so, so much. I mean, look at this.

Look.

I can’t even emphasise enough how well done these illustrations are. They’re so unique and they fit the Saga world so perfectly.

That and Fiona won’t shy away from the grim and gore. Emphasis on grim.

Yes, that is a giant monster’s swollen, pus covered testicles. Staples sat down at a table, picked up the appropriate equipment, and created this. With the go ahead from Vaughan. And if everything else I listed isn’t reason enough to check this out, I think the pus covered genitals should do it.

On a serious note; Saga is without a doubt one of the best pieces of literature I’ve engrossed myself in over the past year. It’s got this incredible story that’s executed with stunning illustrations, gloriously written characters and a unique narrative. It’s got so much heart, so much emotion and just a tonne of really incredible idea’s behind it, put together by two really imaginative and talented creators. It’s funny, it’s sharp and it’s deeply emotional.

So if you want to get into a new graphic novel series but not a clue where to start; start here. And brace yourself for one of the greatest journeys.

Fare thee well,

Fran

(PS: This article was also written to go up on the website skatronixxx.com – it’s all things nerdy and great and it’s got a swell little team so far!)

 

Marvel Collector Corps Unboxing!

Yeah yeah I know,

“But Fran! You said your next posts would be about Age of Ultron! You know, the premiere you went to? Where you met the cast and won Black Widows Jacket? And then the review of the film?”

Well, this is sort of along the lines of Age of Ultron, because the first one of these boxes is specially themed around the movie, so it works. Sort of.

But this post is mostly because I got the “We Missed You!” note through the door yesterday when I got home, and having not ordered anything else this payday, I knew what it was and I got way excited.

So here it is; my unboxing of Collector Corps first, and Age of Ultron themed, box!

For those who don’t know what Collector Corps is, it’s along the same lines of Beauty Boxes, but Marvel and Funko Pop themed; you enter your shirt size, you hit subscribe and every two months Collector Corps send you a box of goodies.

The minute my friend told me about it, I went and checked it out. I saw the fact it would be exclusive Funko toys, I saw the t-shirt, I saw the fact it was a once every two month thing, and I was sold. I hit subscribe, filled in my details and paid for my subscription and waited. And finally, my box came! (I say finally but considering it came all the way from the US, it got here fairly quickly!)

First off, the price is absolutely awesome. I paid in GBP, £40 roughly – this included shipping, tax and handling fee’s, all the way over from the USA. Considering what you get in the box, let alone the fact it’s exclusive, and the fact it has to be carted all the way over from the US to London, it’s honestly great. They’re shipping to all kinds of locations at the moment – the boxes alone are $25, then obviously you need to double check shipping, and then your countries tax and handling fees.

So as for the box itself, the design is really cute. The box is themed, decortated and the lovely folks over there are kind enough to stick all the postage stickers to the bottom of the box, so your cool looking box isn’t ruined or covered up!

Then, you open the box.

First off, the inside of the box is gorgeous. The attention to detail is really great, with all the mix/match of comic book panels spread around the inside and the lid! It looks fantastic and it’s such a treat.

Then of course, there’s these! A little Ultron themed patch for your jackets and a tiny cute Cap pin, both featuring the Collector Corps logo! They’re placed on top of a second lid in the box, which is a nice little greeting card for subscribers. If you’re like me who likes to stick pins in jackets, these are pretty ideal, and hopefully they come with more of these little accessories in future!

I opened up the main box, and low and behold. The goodies.

The first thing I pulled out was this little box. It’s a Dorbz figurine from Vinyl Sugar, and this one is an Age of Ultron themed one! I opened it up and to my delight, the box is re-sealable? Usually with these little figurines, like the Marvel Labbit figurines, the boxes aren’t re-sealable, so this was a pleasant little surprise! Then the figurine is in a little tiny black bag inside, which I cut open.

Look at this cutie. This is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen in my life, and considering two weeks ago I was staring in fear at the amazing performance by James Spader and thinking “Fuck, this is a scary robot.”, this is a big deal. These are called Dorbz for a reason! And he is completely.

This little Ultron Dorb is beyond sweet, and the detail is really impressive! He’s a lovely little addition to this box and I hope Collector Corps add more of these little quirky type of things to their boxes, be it Dorbz or something equally as unique.

Ultron is now a (very) happy resident amongside my army of Marvel Labbits and everytime I glance up it’s like a ray of world-hating sunshine.

The next thing I pulled out was a t-shirt! This one oddly enough goes very well with my Hulk vs Hulkbuster t shirt as it’s kind of the same thing; Iron Man vs Ultron, framed up a an event.

It’s a really nice shirt, the colours are unique and the design is really cool. The material also feels really soft, comfortable and of very qood quality! The print also seems really good and not like it’s going to fade or anything like that. Considering most shirts of this quality, I have had to pay a fair bit of money towards, this is a really cool addition and I hope the rest of the apparel they send out is like this!

Underneath everything, was this variant issue comic book; Variant Issue #1 of the Guardians team up with the Avengers.

I haven’t read the issue, but the art is absolutely gorgeous and unique, and it features all our favs in their Marvel Now! form, and features Female Thor and Captain America Sam! I’m really pleased with this variant and I think it’s a great cover, the artwork is so detailed and despite the heavy amount of characters, it doesn’t look cramped or silly, which is an impressive fete considering Rocket is riding Captain America’s head. Kudos.

Finally, here is the star of the show; the exclusive Hulkbuster bobblehead from Funko’s Age of Ultron series of toys. Hulkbuster is exclusive to this box, so you need to subscribe if you want him!

First off; he’s huge. He’s way bigger than I expect, and he easily dwarfs my other Funko toys. (admittedly this is a bit of an unfair statement on my Tyrion Lannister, who is currently MIA. Possibly BIGBD – Buried In the Garden By the Dog.) As such, he’s also weighty in comparison to the others, but he doesn’t seam unbalanced and he also isn’t actually heavy – just larger than your average one!

Honestly, this is such a great exclusive, debut toy for this box. He’s large, he’s relevant and 100% exclusive, and it does make you feel like the box is worth it. If he wasn’t exclusive, due to his sheer size and what detail I can see of him, he’d probably cost more than the other Funko figurines on that basis alone. I’m genuinely too scared to take him out the box incase he falls off my shelf or I drop him or anything else befalls him! He’s such an impressive addition and really brings the whole box together.

My overall view on this box, is that it’s amazing, and such a wonderful debut from Collector Corps. The price and what you get seem way too good to be true – and yet, true it all is. It’s easily worth the money you spend to get it delivered, what with the high quality t-shirts and the exclusive figurines alone! Factor in major attention to detail with a glorious, decorated box and other exclusive, awesome treats, and this subscription service is a steal. It’s so much fun and so obvious that Marvel and Funko have put the ultimate team-up in place for their fans.

All I can say is, I am really excited for the Antman box coming in June, and to see what future boxes bring.

Fare thee well,

Fran

  ps: For anyone who cares what the Hulkbuster vs Hulk shirt I mentioned looks like. It looks like a wrestling poster and it’s cool as heck.

May TBR

So the following pieces of literature I’m about to discuss are all the things I plan to read in the lovely, length month of May!

First off, I am currently reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.    The basic premise of this book is that there is a circus that only ever appears at night, never announcing when it’s coming or going, and it’s colour-scheme is entirely black, white and grey.

At first I found this book a little bit confusing, but just paying attention to the dates and everything got my head around it all pretty quickly. It is really enchanting and it’s such a wonderfully crafted combination of these artistic, dazzling scenes of the circus, combined with this very intense, dark sub-story. It’s really great and I imagine I’ll finish it in a reasonable amount of time, it’s just one of those books you do really have to pay attention to because even the small details mean everything.

I then plan to read;

Ms. Marvel Volumes #1 and #2 by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona.

So stoked. I don’t need words right now. I’m just so scared to start, knowing I’ll have to wait forever for Volume 3!

The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie.

As I said in my March Payday Book Haul, I’ve already read work of Gillen and McKelvie before, and have had the pleasure of meeting them both at a signing for that series, which was the Marvel Now! run of Young Avengers, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve heard nothing but good things, and again, I’m just very excited.

Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky.

Look, I love Matt Fraction for his work on Hawkeye and this is a story about people who use their power of being able to stop time during sex to rob banks. Why on earth won’t I enjoy this?

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas.

Those of you that have been with this blog for a time know that I have fallen head over heels for the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. While trying to fill the void between now and the release of the fourth book, Queen of Shadows in September, I decided to pick up the collection of the novella’s, which explain more about Celaena’s life before the series. I’m super excited to re-unite with my babe, and find out more about her!

And finally;

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

(ft. ugly ass sticker that won’t come off properly.)

I pre-ordered this shortly after finishing Throne of Glass because honestly, I heard she was writing a new series, featuring another female protagonist with a dark past, and I was just sold. I love Sarah’s writing, I like her character developments, and I think her stories are exciting. So I’ve picked this up, and honestly I have no real clue what the book is about except lady protag, dark past/deeds, and that is it. The blurb is a little bit confusing, so I am just going to go into this book essentially blind, which is very exciting!

So, yeah. Very much an ambitious reading list, but I honestly believe it can be done! Hopefully this month I’ll be able to squeeze in my single issue comics too, so we shall see!!

Until my next post, this is me for the night! I hope you’re all doing fabulous. Let me know if you’ve read any of the books on my TBR and let us talk about them!!!

All the best, and fare thee well!

Fran

I’m Selling My Comics

Sad, but true. I bought all these comics (sans two) with the full intention of reading all of them and getting super invested; and it just never happened. So I feel like these guys would benefit from a nice new home with someone who loves them and wants to read them!

All these comics are in their original bags, unread and first prints!

Listings include;

Marvel Now! Titles;

Iron Man #28 (accidental double purchase)
Hulk #1-7 (Listed Separately)
Avengers #1-4 (Listed Together)
Daredevil #1-8 (Listed Separately)
Ms. Marvel #2 The New 52! Grayson #1-3 (Listed Together) Grayson #2 (Accidental double purchase)

If you have any interest in these issues, my eBay is here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Fare thee Well, Fran