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Reviewed by Hardartist
Aug. 9, 2009
 Lucky for Punisher fans that Alexander, a former world-class karate and kickboxing champion, held firm and produced the Punisher film that fans really wanted to see.
Punisher: War Zone is the first Marvel film to be branded with the “Marvel Knights” tag, one that designates it as a comic movie catered to an adult audience. The film is rated R, and I’m sure it barely avoided an NC-17 because it is tremendously violent. Like, new Rambo violent. Like Takashi Miike violent. Some people will no doubt take offense at this, as they are under the mistaken impression that comic books are for kids, and likewise, all comic book movies must also be for kids. 
 Now that we’ve cleared that little bit of unpleasantness up, let’s talk about the actual film itself. First off, Ray Stevenson was a perfect fit for the role of Frank Castle, such that he appears dead-eyed and wooden most of the time, but moves like a goddamn cheetah whenever the need arises. Some might take issue with his acting, but seriously, there are only like ten lines of dialogue in the whole movie, so who gives a crap.
When the character of the Punisher was originally conceived, it was as a dark opposite of characters like Spider-Man, who valued responsibility, family and friendship. The Punisher never sat at home drinking wine and talking about his problems with his little girlfriends, he was always more like a comic book version of a shell-shocked reactionist, stubbornly pursuing a one-man war that would never end and would almost certainly result in death, as if he was already dead to begin with.
Dominic West was also great as one of the better comic book villains I’ve seen in awhile, Jigsaw. His origin in the film was so heinous, it makes the Joker look like a pussy. His entourage of lackeys were also great, like characters from the Sopranos. Each had their own distinct personality that made seeing them get their ass ripped by the Punisher more meaningful.    
The darkness of this film makes the moments of levity so much more unexpected, and thusly more enjoyable. In fact, unexpectedness is what makes Punisher: War Zone a great film. Just when you think the bar cannot be pushed any further, it gets pushed. Action movies are supposed to be violent and kinetic, and Punisher: War Zone takes note of that better than any adult comic film since The Crow (which even shares some stylistic and musical similarities). It's as if they hired "Gallagher" as the special effects supervisor. Melons splattering everywhere.
While I obviously wouldn’t recommend Punisher: War Zone to families, any comic book reader and Punisher fan will be happy to see a proper representation of a character that doesn’t go around saying one-liners and over-explaining everything he does. Which is a nice change of pace after three Spider-Man movies. Obviously this isn’t on par with the big, grand production of Iron Man or the Dark Knight, but as a smaller film with more of a niche audience, it definitely does not disappoint.  Don't believe me when I tell you that this film is more violent then a Tijuana cock fight on trucker meth during a full moon? Then watch this trailer and see for yourself: I'll give it 8.5 out of 10.
If you want to see the movie, click HERE.


Reviewed by Hardartist
July 29, 2009
More anime-like space opera than standard superhero fare, this newest OAV launches a glowing green bolt of light across the universe…

Starting with the familiar origin of Hal Jordan, test pilot, the film nonetheless doesn’t spend too much time earth-bound or with love interest Carol Ferris: he becomes GL at the four-minute mark, takes off to join the rest of the Corps, and literally never looks back until the closing seconds.

As usual, Andrea Romano has done a great job assembling a supporting voice cast—everyone from Michael Madsen to Tricia Helfer to William Shallert are effective in their roles. The problem is, most of the characters seem like “types” that you know from endless other sci-fi/action outings : the brusque comrade who eventually warms up, the sympathetic female, the wise elders. I suppose it’s unfair to compare First Flight to this year's superb Wonder Woman OAV, but I kept waiting for the same richness, texture, humor, and high drama. It never quite materialized. To be sure, First Flight comes close on several occasions, and the rousing battle sequences at the climax go a long way to providing Jordan with the kind of archetypal hero aura that surrounds Diana. Still, the movie spends far too much resembling a typical episode of a middle-of-the-road TV cartoon—nothing terrible, just nothing super-inspiring either.


With a pace that’s staggeringly fast, First Flight wastes no time moving its plot—which of course involves arch-enemy Sinestro and a “Yellow Element” mega-weapon—and one side effect is that Jordan’s character is itself not developed too well. Instead, imagine your typical “brash human” and that’s him. In the lead, Christopher Meloni does nice work, and in the process provides a slight edge to the character that I hadn’t seen before; it works, though. Unfortunately, the expressiveness of the animated GL doesn’t match: there’s a certain woodenness to many of the Lanterns, and the most personality actually comes across in the rendering of Sinestro. Poor Jordan, in contrast, sometimes looks like a bulked-up action figure, especially in several shots from the back in which his chest and shoulders seem like nothing so much as hard plastic inflated with steroids.

And that points to a bigger problem: the animation. There are too many backgrounds that lack details, too many expanses of a single color, for this kind of would-be lavish undertaking. Aside from the well-executed, well-designed action scenes of the second half, the production feels slightly rushed from an artistic standpoint.

Still, as mentioned above, the slam-bang ending is satisfying and almost leaves one with the sense that this feature is an undeniable winner. Not quite, though. With a movie less than eighty minutes in run time, there’s got to be a lot that grabs you in the opening half hour, and that doesn’t happen here. Yes, there are some intriguing genre elements in the first half, such as when the Lanterns act like noirish cops, but these don’t really have the space or time to be developed and so don’t come across as being deeply felt.

As for the DVD itself, it contains the usual wealth of materials, here intended for both GL fans specifically and DC Universe fans more generally; these include promos for upcoming movies and comics that I’m now looking forward to much as I once had been to this release. I'll give it an A-. Close to an A+
If you want to see a movie, click HERE.


Reviewed by Hardartist
July 25, 2009
Like everywhere else, fads sweep Hollywood movies. A new teaching in Hollywood advertised in script workshop contends that “you don’t need plot, you don’t need character, you don’t need dialogue, because all you need is emotion.”
Evidently, the current creators of Batman found this approach intriguing because the movie is full of emotional moments, some of which are great, to the neglect of plot, character and dialogue. Thus, Batman in The Dark Knight does not go through a character arc and (SPOILER ALERT) hardly seems to wince when a terrible tragedy occurs in the middle of the action, and the Joker does not go through a character arc. People who like emotive moments, video games, and eye candy will walk out satisfied, but people who like to be touched by the story and the characters will be disappointed.
Dark Knight starts off with much promise. There’s a new criminal in Gotham City challenging the mobs. He is ruthless, senseless and chaotic, a true psychopath. He sends his goons to rob a mob bank. He tells each goon to finish off the goon who completes his job, first the driver, then the safecracker, then the bagman so that only Joker leaves alive. He tells the mob that he will get rid of their biggest problem, Batman, after driving a pencil through a mobster’s head to show his cruel superiority.
At the same time, there’s a new good guy on the scene, Harvey Dent, the District Attorney. With Batman and Detective Gordon’s help, he arrests the Chinese mob leader, Lau, who has been the lead banker for all the mobsters. Using Lau’s information, Dent is able to indict a courthouse full of mobsters.
Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, thinks Harvey may be able to solve the crime problem so that Batman can get back together with his beloved, Rachel. Rachel, however, has fallen in love with Harvey.
The Joker leaves a clue that he’s going to kill the judge, the police commissioner and Harvey Dent. (SPOILER ALERT) In his chaotic, psychotic way, Joker kills the judge, kills the commissioner in a crowd of policemen, kills Rachel, and causes Harvey to lose half his face so that one side of his face looks like a skull and tendons. This causes a psychotic break in Harvey, who turns into a villain himself, though somewhat more conflicted.
Batman makes it his goal to capture Joker. He almost goes over the top and becomes a vigilante, especially when Joker kidnaps two people and wires them up to two bombs.Movies with two villains often have problems, because once you finish with the first villain, you have to defeat the second villain, which is almost like a second movie. Thus, for those who don’t revel in exciting eye candy, the last 20 minutes of this movie become tedious. As said, some of the interactions between the characters are brilliant emotional moments. They have been used to make good ads and YouTube clips of the movie, but they do not hang together cohesively. Upping the ante on emotional moments can bring fatigue. What works traditionally is a plot point early on in the movie to propel it in a different direction and a plot point introduced in the third act. The Batman script has one noticeable plot point in the middle and several repetitious plot beats. Joker is psychotic and mean from the beginning. He’s shown to be psychotic and mean several times. A little character growth would have helped him a great deal. Those who think playing psychotic and mean is great acting will love this role. They may want to look back at Jack Nicholson’s Joker, who made more of a haunting, lasting impression because of his deep-seated humor in the midst of real pain and suffering.
The music, sound effects and special effects are very good. These are some of the best explosions in movie history. The Dark Knight is not a very bad movie, although it seems to suggest in no uncertain terms that a hero can be a liar without tarnishing his heroic qualities. This is not a movie for children or young teenagers who may pick up scripts of bad behavior, however, though they probably will flock to the movie. Parents must take a strong stand, therefore, and not let their children and teenagers succumb to media hype. From our point of view, consider renting Batman Begins, the first movie in this incarnation of the caped hero, instead. It’s a much better scripted, acted, and directed movie. I'll give it an A-.
If you want to see the movie, click HERE.


Reviewed by Hardartist
July 25, 2009
Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine, opening the first summer blockbuster with 87 million dollars.

Ever since Hugh Jackman’s first foray into the X-Men universe as Wolverine in the 2000 big-screen adaptation of the comic books, audiences have wanted more of the animalistic creature with sharp blades in his hands. In the new prequel/spin-off, moviegoers get a glimpse at the convoluted back story which makes Wolverine (originally Logan) who he is in the other three films.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine begins with an unsettling look at Logan’s childhood when he first discovers he is unlike other humans. Sick with a fever, Logan is unsure of his father’s true identity until after his accidental murder, bonding him with his older, more sinister brother, Victor Creed. The two only have each other in the world and must run away from society until they stumble into William Stryker’s (Danny Huston) hands.
Stryker has organized a group of mutants for a mysterious purpose, but when more people are killed than saved, Logan wants out, leaving Victor to spiral out of control.
Years later, Logan is trying to live a normal life with a schoolteacher, Kayla (Lynn Collins), but the group he left behind, including Victor, will stop at nothing to get him back on their side. Jackman carries the film as the jaded and vengeful Wolverine, first discovering and developing his powers and skills. He plays the role with such earnest that a man with razor sharp claws seems almost believable. Liev Schreiber’s addition to the cast as his spiteful and dangerous brother, Victor, a.k.a. Sabretooth, elevates the dramatic aspect of this action film. Schreiber somehow inhabits both evil and sympathetic characteristics as the murderous Sabretooth and lonely Victor. Director Gavin Hood is new to the action genre, this film following three dramas, including Rendition, starring Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, but it seems he’s done his homework since the action sequences are some of the film’s highlights. Now, he has a summer blockbuster under his belt.
Though X-Men Origins: Wolverine follows one of the most famous X-Men characters, part of the film doesn’t live up to the hype. Taking such an involved story, like that of Wolverine’s past, is difficult for a movie to make sense of and without having previous knowledge of the franchise, some details are lost in translation.
The supporting cast, including Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Kitsch, do well with their mutant roles and lend thoughts of other X-Men origins to be uncovered.



Reviewed by Hardartist
July 25, 2009
It's a gloriously envisioned alternate 1985. Familiar but alien. The atmosphere is gritty. The city suffers from a lack of conscience. Ominous-looking dirigibles grace the cloudy skies. The world seems on the brink of destruction. Outlandishly costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. And on one particular night, a comedian is murdered.
The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is no ordinary citizen. He was once part of a band of crime fighters called the "Watchmen". His death causes a vigilante name Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) to look into whether there is something sinister afoot. His quest reunites him with a handful of former colleagues, all superheroes themselves, though none are quite as dynamic and bullheaded as Rorschach himself.
It sounds pretty simple, but the Watchmen provide an epic storyline that The Fantastic 4 could never hope to achieve. The Watchmen provide salacious thrills that the X-Men dare not offer. And, the Watchmen dwell in a fantastical existence that Hellboy would find enviable. The Watchmen have culled their own distinct niche. There's a lot going on here. Maybe too much.
Lifting the pages of the graphic comic book up onto the big screen required ambitious cutting edge special effects. Most excellent was that of the glowing, blue-hued Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup). His special-effects suit was studded with 2500 blue lights. Therefore his glow follows his movements more closely than an on-set light could, and illuminates his surroundings in a more convincing manner than a computer effect would. There's an Oscar in special effects wizardry awaiting these guys.
While he is a sight to behold (with his perfectly sculpted body and his unable-to-ignore genitalia), his character is so blasé. He can stop a war. He can pleasure a woman doubly so. But he doesn't have a purpose. Omnipotence can get quite boring.The evolution of the story and the characters required countless flashbacks. In fact, I think that some flashbacks required flashbacks. No matter. You'll certainly enjoy the opening 15-minute montage that propels you through a dystopian alternate version of history. This scene would be worthy of its own exhibit at one of the Smithsonian museums.As for the movie as a whole? Well, I think that Dr. Manhattan, with his infinite wisdom, stated it best when he mused that it would be a thermodynamic miracle to turn air into gold. Admirably, "Watchmen" treads where other superhero films have failed to go and frequently surprises us with its tactics. There is an ample amount of violence and I supposed that if I were someone with superhero powers and was bored at night, I'd go out and raise a little Hell. I was surprised to learn that the actor who played Rorschach also played the monstrously baseball-talented Kelly in the Bad News Bears (1976). I was surprised at how clever the villain actually was. But perhaps with all of the ground that this story wants to cover, it would've been better if it had been broken up into three films. Given how wonderfully graphic the movie could actually be and perhaps should have been, I would want to see the Director's Cut. I will give that a Grade: B
Here's part 1 of the Watchmen Movie.


Reviewed by Hardartist
July 23, 2009
 The Simpsons Movie validates my devotion to the greatest piece of entertainment in history. The very studio logo shows that the  Simpsons writers get what it means to be on the big screen. It only takes a few minutes for them to totally ridicule the very medium of film, and they find ways to do it throughout the opus.The story is classic Simpsons on an epic scale. The first act is just loosely relevant enough to set up the main plot. It takes a long way to get there and that ride is the biggest treat. Since the whole movie is longer, it's like a complete TV episode's worth of act one!
They give each character a subplot but what Homer does drives the action. It holds up with the best Golden Age Simpsons episodes like "The Strange Journey of Our Homer" and "Bart Sells His Soul," with some elements of those classic stories.

The humor remains mildly inappropriate but knowingly observant. It always just pushes two or three levels past where most comedies would end. There are plenty of religious digs, shots at Fox, Homer-style life lessons and all the staples I love with just a tad bit more clarity on some of the usually suggested vagaries. On sheer length alone, it has triple the laughs of the best Simpsons episodes.
Surrounding that, the dialogue is a little bit longer and more in depth in some scenes. Marge's sincere moment conveys more emotional pain than even "Strange Journey" did. Homer's true desperation comes out given a tad more nuance to the vocal performance. That's the magic of The Simpsons. You still care what happens to them no matter how outrageous it is.The Simpsons Movie is full of background gags ensuring that you will have to see it again and again to catch every little joke. Every favorite character gets a moment to shine. Ralph says his childlike non sequiturs, Comic Book Guy explains it all and the Crazy Cat Lady is just outrageous. Disco Stu even pops up in crowd shots, though he doesn't get a line. Maybe in the sequel. It is glorious to see Springfield in widescreen Cinemascope. There are some beautiful 2D shots through crowds of people and streets of background. There is some pretty awesome cartoon action too. It is unreal, surreal and totally imaginative.
My biggest dilemma is the comparison to South Park. That may still be the ultimate animated movie because it was such a leap beyond what the show had done by then. It was multi-leveled and socially important. Well, The Simpsons were already that, so it's not such a big leap. <B>The Simpsons Movie</b> brings the awesomeness of the series to the big screen, but it was already there.This must be how Star Wars fans wanted to feel with the prequels, but Simpsons fans actually get their masterpiece. It's a Simpsons fan's dream.
If you want to see the movie, click HERE


Reviewed by Hardartist
July 23, 2009
very good movie fan has been burned by a three-quel. Bring up the third chapters of the Godfather, Back to the Future, or, perhaps the most derided of all, Alien franchises, and watch true hardcore fans start to tear up. Having been burned multiple times by Hollywood's third trip to the well is bad enough, but when you start considering the history of comic book movies, it gets that much more painful. Just mentioning Batman Forever or Superman III might get you kicked out of some comic book stores. Those movies shattered as many dreams as when we were told Santa Claus didn't exist or that He-Man wasn't real.

The main thing that most faulty third chapters have in common, however, is a new eye behind the camera. Joel Schumacher takes most of the blame for what happened to the Dark Knight, and the hate mail that Brett Ratner has received for X-Men: The Last Stand could fill a dead letter office. So, with the same faces in front of and behind the camera, can Spider-Man 3 break the curse of the three-quel? (It's a question we'll ask again and again this summer with the Shrek, Pirates, Ocean's and Bourne franchises facing the same deadly installment.) Spider-Man 3 may not live up to the incredible highs of the second film, but it easily matches the thrills of the first and proves that all rules, even comic movie rules, are meant to be broken.

The opening of Spider-Man 3 immediately reminds fans of how much the series has really become a "trilogy," closer in scope to Star Wars than the Batman or Superman movies, in which each chapter feels like a new stand-alone adventure. Sam Raimi has been setting up threads of loyalty and revenge since the first film, and the opening credits of the third installment almost serve as a "previously-on" segment for the entire series. Trust me - you'll be pumped and ready to go from the very beginning. In the first act, Raimi plunges us back into the lovey-dovey relationship between MJ (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Tobey Maguire). They hang out on webs together and look at the stars while Peter plans his marriage proposal, something that scares him as much as any super-villain. Meanwhile, as is always the way in the Marvel Universe, evil is brewing in the background. Harry Osborn (James Franco) is still planning his revenge for what he sees as Peter's murder of his father, and we watch as the Venom symbiote (a cool black goo) hitches a ride to NYC on a meteor and Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) becomes the Sandman.

Happiness never lasts too long for a hero like Spider-Man, and the action kicks in pretty quickly with an amazingly choreographed aerial fight between Harry (in full Goblin gear like his proud papa) and Spider-Man. From there on out, Spider-Man 3 is largely a series of different Spidey fights - "vs. Sandman," "vs. Harry," "vs. Venom," "vs. Himself" - culminating in a soon-to-be legendary battle royale with five different characters involved. As you can imagine, the action in Spider-Man 3 can't really be faulted and the effects - it is arguably the most expensive movie ever made - look unbelievable. When Flint turns into Sandman near the beginning, that scene alone should win the Visual Effects Oscar and that doesn't even take into account all of the awesomeness left to come. Raimi has crafted an astounding visual canvas that looks great at every turn.

However, the webbing between the action sequences is where Spider-Man 3 slightly falters. It's a little too long and too much of the film's heaviest plot - the love triangle between Peter, Harry, and MJ - rests on the shoulders of James Franco, and the young actor is simply not up to the challenge. Franco doesn't have the screen charisma to carry a movie as big as Spider-Man 3, and when he starts to sulk (or, in the worst scene in all three movies, do the twist with MJ), you'll just be wondering what more interesting characters (like anybody) is doing. The action is just as good as the previous movies, but the connective tissue feels more strained, as if the actors have grown a little tired of playing the same game. Even Aunt May seems a little tired of talking about Uncle Ben.

These are just a few minor complaints, only to illustrate why Spider-Man 3 isn't as great as the series' flawless second chapter, but don't fret. The first major summer movie of 2007 is going to leave fans very happy and probably justify repeat viewings long into the warmer months. Cameos by Stan Lee, Bruce Campbell and James Cromwell help with the fun atmosphere created by a very strong supporting ensemble that includes the perfectly cast Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom and Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy. Thomas Haden Church is a nice choice for Sandman, but he's not given quite enough to do beyond two main expressions - angry and "whoa, I'm turning into sand."

In the end, Spider-Man 3 thrives on a classic comic book lesson, one that has really been the foundation of all three parts of this trilogy, that love, not hate, makes a hero. Hate makes Sandman or Venom. Love makes Spider-Man. Director Sam Raimi's love for his craft has made him a true hero for movie fans worldwide and, with Spider-Man 3, the movie hero continues to fly high. I'll give it a B-.

If you want to see the movie, click HERE.




Reviewed by Hardartist
July 23, 2009
Our four favorite ninja turtles are back in action and in CGI!!! Since the defeat of the Shredder, the gang has been growing apart. Splinter sends Leonardo away to find himself in the hopes that this will make him a more effective leader. Back home, things have been getting pretty hectic with the crime in the city. A very rich industrialist, who goes by the name of Maximillian Winters, is collecting, or should I say "building", an army of ancient warrior statues to reverse a curse. Throw in some Foot Clan, a pinch of Casey Jones and Splinter for good measure and we have one kick ass ninja turtle adventure, people!

I never thought I'd use the word "dark" and "kids" in the same sentence to describe a film oriented towards the littler ones, but this was a great dark action/adventure flick that adults can appreciate also! I used to collect the TMNT comic books way back when and this movie totally translates the whole feel of those comics to the big screen -- although minus the blood. The film will definitely pave the way for many more TMNT flicks to come, in my opinion. Good story, great characters, lots of action, funny and excellent CGI. Basically, everything you could ask for in such a movie! I'm not sure how the "older" fans of the franchise will feel, but let’s face it, once it hit the Saturday morning cartoons, the franchise quickly geared itself toward younger viewers. And that’s OK! I went to see this film with my five year old nephew and we had a blast! The other cool thing was that there were strong intelligent female characters in the film who kicked major ass, so it's likely to appeal to young girls as well.

All the voices were perfect! I particularly enjoyed Patrick Stewart’s voice! It was very suave and commanding. Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ziyi Zhang were also equally up to the task and brought charm to their respective characters. Mr. Kevin Smith's small role was funny and, of course, Lawrence Fishburne's narration in the beginning was perfect!

As for the CGI, it was fantastic! It's funny because they were able to keep the integrity of the original book by making the film dark while still pulling off a great action-packed kid’s movie. The action sequences were fun to watch; I really liked the skateboard segment through the sewer system (they should make a themed rollercoaster ride for that!). The other sequence I really enjoyed was the rooftop battle in the rain. The details of the raindrops falling on the turtle shells were quite impressive! TMNT is comparable to THE INCREDIBLES, but I find the details in the TMNT environment much more sophisticated! Look out THE INCREDIBLES!!! Wait a second...Now there's a movie, TMNT versus THE INCREDIBLES!!!!! That's money all the way to the bank!

All in all, it was a very enjoyable film that old fans can respect and the young viewers will love! Does anyone remember PRE-TEEN DIRTY-GENE KUNG-FU KANGAROOS? I'm just wondering because after the success of TMNT (trust me, it will make big numbers!) maybe they'll start to capitalize on other mutant animals. Only time will tell, I guess! When the movie was over I asked my 5 year old nephew what he thought and he said: "It was super sweet and I'm definitely getting this on DVD!" There you have it folks, straight from a five year old! Cowabunga!

If yoy want to see the movie, click HERE.



Reviewed by Hardartist
Dec. 8, 2008

Picking up from the conclusion of blockbuster video game Halo 2, the must-read issue reveals how the Master Chief, while onboard a hostile ship headed towards Earth, is battling against Covenant forces! Intertwined with Master Chief's interstellar one-man-war is the saga of a great American city's rebellion and downfall, two disparate lives' collision and shared fate, and the Convenant's hunt for an ancient relic of untold power and value. With hope dwindling and the fate of humanity hanging by a thread, is there any chance for a future?



Reviewed by Hardartist
Dec. 7, 2008

On the banks of the rising Yangtze, a man and woman are walking through some old ruins. The woman is there to observe an archeological find the man is showing her. As they enter a temple, the woman notes two statues of lions, called Shishi, are inside the temple instead of outside. The man suggests the Lions of Fo may have been meant to protect the outside world from the spirits within. He then tells the woman that a price has not yet been set on the object he is about to show her. They arrive in a massive cavern and in it is a massive golden dragon statue.

On an airplane somewhere over the Mediterranean, a woman is asking Tony Stark why he isn't flying in one of his own planes. When he tells her this is his plane, she says she meant one of his private planes. As he asks what her name is, a man stands up with a bomb strapped to his chest and commands that everyone stay seated. As he moves across the plane, Tony leaves his seat and goes into a bathroom stall. The bomber begins yelling at a woman holding a crying child, and Iron Man appears right behind him. He grabs the bomber and flys right out of the top of the plane. The suicide bomber blows himself up, killing only himself and leaving Iron Man's armor steaming. Iron Man gets back on to the airplane and trys to calm everyone down, but the passengers are angry at what he did and tell him to go back to America. As he leaves the plane, he comments to himself, "I need a vacation."



Reviewed by Hardartist
Dec. 1, 2008
I could not believe this. Spidey turning to Hulk!!!!Spider-Man, who had been following reports of a wild beast in the New England wilderness (what?), gets stuck with the guy's energy-packed device. Hulk nearly drowns him, then leaves, and Peter heads back to New York feeling woozy and uncomfortable. Confronted on a rooftop by a pair of security guards, Spidey gets angry and bam! He's a big green guy in a little red suit. Spider is the strongest one there is! When Spider gets angry, Spider gets strong! Spider SMASH! Obviously he eventually gets the excess energy drained from him, since he's still not hulking out when he gets mad, but for one issue, yes, this exact Spider-Man existed. The figure looks great. It's possible that this figure was on-deck for the quickly-cancelled Hulk Classics line, because he's got the same general hugeness as those figures: 7 1/2" tall and 4" across the shoulders. Mighty! The muscles are really bugling beneath the costume, even more than most Spidey figures' - it makes sense, since he's now wearing clothes that are too small for him. Spider-Man is usually a thin, wiry guy, but he's now sporting Hulk's muscles, so the sculpt really Exciting to do it. This IS COOL!!!!


Reviewed by Hardartist
Nov. 4, 2008

Lieutenant Patricia Robertson, an army communications specialist working at an arctic radar station named "Christmastown" made a gruesome discovery when making a routine errand to a small research lab. (She was returning some movies, really.) After responding to a distress message over the intercom, she discovered that nearly the entire staff of the lab had been slaughtered. Hoo boy, were these guys dead. We're talking Bucky-caliber dead here. What happened to those guys shouldn't happen to a bug that hits a windshield. Black goo was also found around the scene.

Luckily (or unluckily) Robertson finds a survivor (named "Perry" according to the sidebar on this issue) half frozen, and half crazy, locked up in the freezer. She quickly takes him back to Christmastown, rushing the man to medical attention. Robertson's supervisor Colonel Michael Malone theorizes that polar bears may have been responsible for what happened at the lab, before realizing that with Perry locked in the freezer he couldn't have been the one. After Perry suddenly and without warning goes into seizure, a hideous toothy grimace on his face, Robertson realizes she just made a horrible mistake. A cartoon thought balloon with a picture of a lollipop with the word "Sucker" written on it, lingers above her head. Okay, not really, but it's an amusing mental image.




Reviewed by Hardartist
Sept. 27, 2008
I am writing this review about Superman and Spider-Man meeting for the first time! What I like about this issue is Superman from Metropolis, comes to New York City for a reason. His friends are Jimmy Olsen, Mr.White, Mrs.Clark, and Lois Lane as always. Spider-Man on the other hand, he did not know Superman was going to come here and his friends are Harry Osborn, Aunt May, Mr.Jameson, and Mary Jane. When the part I do not like is Doc Ock wants to defeat Spider-Man and Lex Luthor wants to defeat Superman. So Doc Ock and Lex Luthor made up a plan to defeat both of the most and powerful heroes of all time. When Superman and Spider-Man first meet each other in the very top of New York City, known in the very top of the Empire State Building, Superman and Spider-Man fought each other and Superman and Spider-Man did not win. The fight had to be interupted by Doc Ock's and Lex Luthor's robots and that was how Superman and Spider-Man, my most favorate heroes does the Greatest Superhero alie team of all time! After The Web-Slinger and The Man of Steel went to fight Lex and Doc, the battle will begin. Find that out in my comments. i AM SO god good with this issue and I can't wait for the other one mabie in the future. But the time will have to go on. Any Comments?


Reviewed by Hardartist
Sept. 21, 2008
This review is my favorate issue. The reason why this is my favorate issue is because Spidey uses the Hammer of Thor and he gets a ticket to Asguard. Another reason is the costume of the Spider-God and I like it. The only thing I do not like is Spidey getting a hammer from Asguard and no one knows what could happen to this Webbed-God. Any comments, let me know.


Reviewed by Hardartist
Sept. 21, 2008
This issue is about Spidey and Venom. What I like about this issue is when Venom asks him to be his sidekick, it's okay for Venom, But for Spider-Man no. That bad part that also means what I don't like is this, I don't like the way Spidey is decieding. But , Venom keeps asking Spider-Man to be his official sidekick. What will Spidey choose? Can anyone ask me, because I did not know the end of the story. Comment this right here.


Reviewed by Hardartist
Sept. 20, 2008
This issue is about Venom bieng trapped by S.H.I.E.L.D and by the Ultimates. What I like about this issue is Venom is back after the other four issues and I wil get the volume next year. What I don't like about this issue is that Venom is trapped by the Ultimates and I don't know what will happen next, but l did know what characters are going to be in this issue. If anyone want's to comment anything about this issue, comment right here of your opinion.


Reviewed by Hardartist
Sept. 12, 2008
This iiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssss a review you do not want to miss. I know you are intrested in something else, but I like this issue alot and this is the 100 project you never want to miss, only for the people who are intested in this issue. Any Comments? Let me know okay.


Reviewed by Hardartist
Sept. 6, 2008
This is it. the issue you have been waiting for! A new Villian has arrived or could he be a new hero? The way is the ThunderBolts may have come to kill Spider-Man, but it will have to be interupted by a new villian or a new hero. the guess is the guest named Anti-Venom!  Any comments?


Reviewed by Hardartist
Aug. 21, 2008
I am writing this review about this issue which is a really cold, cool, and deadly issue. In this issue, Spider-Man might have to face an event that could be a new way to die and well, He could have a new destiny and new villains too. Anyone want's to comment about this issue, put your comment about this issue.