Throne of Atlantis Review

So it's no new fact that I'm a huge Aquaman nerd. He's a pretty great character. Having the strength of Superman and Wonder Woman, not to mention the abilities he has under the surface of the ocean. Dude is a straight up power house. Beard or no beard (I'm more of the no beard type), the man is great in all facilities. The stories are great weather they're geared toward eco-terrorism or Black Manta just being a dick and wanting to scuttle illegal treasures from the deep to would be buyers of the surface. I have to address the elephant in the room that came out last year. Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. Things I liked and things I didn't like sort of situation.

That scene I swear I saw in WAR

So, Aquaman is a dude named Arthur Curry. I figured that out quite some time ago. Why do you have to do this bullshit origin story. I don't remember liking Justice League: War, but I swear I remember the scene from the comic with Aquaman summoning a great white to kill one of Darkseid's minions. You know the ones that remind you of The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, and his flying monkies. Regardless of the fact that they're his minions [OZ], I really for the life of me while writing this can not remember the name of those bastards. Push it off! My mind has too much junk in it about comic book shit to begin with, and this probably gives you ample time to write in the comments how much of a dithering twat I am. Like I said fuck that, let's move on.

It's no surprise that I don't remember much from subtitle WAR, it was a shitty direct to DVD animated movie. Oh wait all of these are. However Throne of Atlantis seems to take the proverbial cake with this one, and I wouldn't have minded seeing this in theaters. If I had the cash for it that is. Jesus I'm rambling again, aren't I? Fuck this, let's get to the review!

So let's talk about the plot holes, or the parts of movie as an AM (AquaMan) nerd I didn't really get. First of all we have Orm, he's the young son of Atlanna, and the former king, also Arthur's half brother. He should be a lock-in for the next to throne right? Nah Arthur is older and a bastard, and if we know anything from 'Song of Ice and Fire' books, bastards go a long way in legitimacy. Look at that Roose Bolton asshole! Point aside, why is this guy hanging out with Black Manta? I mean he's a known surface dweller and dick. But Atlanna's like, "it's cool you're making friends Orm, none of which will be there for my downfall as a queen". Are you fucking kidding me?! This guy is a surface dweller, the same problem you have with and thus want diplomacy with. Fuck your son ask this guy questions! Atlanna is an idiot, and trust me this isn't her first fuck up.

So on the other side of the dais we have Arthur and his dad with plot holes. Oh son, don't get to close to the waters on that there rocks. I know you're half-atlantean, but for fucks sake don't drown. OH, wait you saw someone who looked like your mother requesting you to the waters? She kissed you on the forehead and gave you knowledge that she was your mother?! BALDERDASH! Seriously it's one of the dumbest moments in the movie, and inconsequential aside the fact of we see Arthur's dad doing dad things. Almost unnecessary, if it weren't the fact that we needed reaffirmation that Arthur is Atlanna's son for stupid people.

Moving right along with the plot holes, I'm tempted to say wholes, because it really makes up the back story for Aquaman. No wonder people hate this asshole without knowing his true story. Let's tell it in a sort of way where it feels shoved down our throats, right? So there is a scene halfway through the movie where Orm just straight up kills his mother. Why?, Because plot, and he's unhappy with her idea of peace with the surface. Which is to meet up with the bros and broettes of the Justice League. Seriously, she doesn't want to go to the UN, she rather preach to the the Justice League. I mean I get it, they're the strongest people on the planet and after their garbage in WAR, they're capital. It's a somewhat strong plan. This pushes a subplot that should've been picked up on by the writers, but fuck it right? Hey, this world leader of supposedly 75% of the globe, and wants to talk with those 7 billion people, where the JL at?

Fuck all that though this asshole shanks his mother in the back with a weirdly crooked knife. Which goes into my next plot hole, but stays with my last. I mean I really want to talk about matricide for a bit, but I can't when you got it blaring from the enemy across the battlefield. This somehow stops the warriors of Atlantis from fighting and dropping the most important gear they have, their helmets. Seriously we're given scenes with tanks and National Guard rolling around, and these dumbasses take their helmets off. Literally after Wonder Womans chops to the head with her swords. It's all because Cyborg decides to broadcast the event where Orm goes full crazy and says he killed his mother because he wanted war with the surface, and anyone who was against him was crazy.

Let's talk about the differences between the comic and the movie! Seriously I may be confused about Arthur's involvement with WAR, but regardless it is hilarious to look at this from the actual comic it was birthed from. For one, that tidal wave heading for the East coast, Metropolis and Gotham involved... well it actually hit. It wasn't just a front and then Moses Spread attack by Orm. I really don't know what the director of the movie was going for, It's not like you're going to world build better than a monthly comic! Let that shit hit the coast, you've got heroes like Batman submerged... OH, that's why, isn't it? Batman can't really fight underwater unless he had some combat ready sub, oh you guys missed out on the toy opportunities!

Let's go back to the focal point with Arthur. So this guy in the comics was already an established member of the Justice League. Not to mention he was incumbent king of Atlantis. So it was kind of fucked up his brother launched an attack against the East coast like he did. It was a back and forth between the the JL and AM. Was he on their side or was he on the new Atlantean's side? That's good story-telling right there, and I have to applaud Geoff Johns, who was writing both on-goings at the time. He knew what he wanted and ran with it, damn the consequences. Seriously when I was reading the books I loved Throne of Atlantis by Johns and Ivan Reis. Shit was good. Art was amazing, but this doesn't hold a candle to it.

So, Kyle what is good about this fucking movie? Why would to buy a ticket with your low-income to see it? Simple; it felt like a Justice League movie. Maybe better than what WB is trying to pump out with their live-action shit. I love Man of Steel, and I'll probably love Batman vs. Superman. But when it comes down to it, It really is hard to portray the characters of the DC universe in live action. I've become aware of that and most people have to. And I think it's only going to get more apparent as we move along in live-action film. I could be wrong, I love practical effects in my films, but that's slowly dying off with these big blockbusters such as the Avengers. CG is the norm, and it looks so good too. I'm sad but I'm finding acceptance towards those developments. But, and it's a big BUTT. Holy shit is the animation quality present with Throne of Atlantis. I mean It's near good budget levels of Young Justice! I really feel like this is the core of the the film. It gets some new ideas weather they're right or wrong in the grand scheme of things, they make a whole. A whole and great movie I enjoyed watching. Much more than WAR, seriously that movie was dumb all around. I understand it was to set up for this movie, but at least they got one thing right. Nathan Fillion for Hal Jordan, all day fucking long! Seriously cast him in the live action movie!

In general I give the movie a 7 out of 10. It's not great because of the plot holes, but I understand what they're attempting. Overall it was fun, and I love fun movies!

30 For 30 #30

So what can I say to start off this series. 30 days, 30 comics. The best of the best. At least according to me. Main reasoning behind doing something like this is not just because the internet loves lists and top "10's". It's mostly because my comic life has been shaped by much in the last 30 years of my life. I'm fast approaching 32. I'll be 32 before the end of this list(HAH Edits: I'm now 32). And with that, a good chunk of this will surpass my 30's and go beyond that in my own heart. This isn't just a list that fits with the times, but a few decades for most. It's not to say that I was privy to the greatest of eras in comics, that goes to those who were born in the golden and silver era. I must say though, that I was born in the era of comics in the modern era, that which would be placed into movies and video games. 

     At the posting of this, we can see comics from the last 30 years being inserted into movies such as Batman vs. Superman, or ideas shaped from Fraction's Hawkeye in Age of Ultron, or rather Avengers 2. Or Mark Millar going full storm into film with Kick-Ass and The Kingsmen. So not only does it shape me, but those around me in my generation, and those effected by my generation's comics and era via the media. You don't even have to read a comic these days to be carded as a comic book nerd(which kind of saddens me, but that's a post for another time).

     Movies aren't the only venue to take away from this genre, but comics themselves. As of this posting Secret Wars, the biggest event of all events for Marvel(in the last year) is now kicking around ideas based on the biggest event of events in comics from the 80's from DC comics side. I'm not trying to say that Hickman's Secret Wars is the new Crisis on Infinite Earths, which it really is, but to say it's an homage done in the Marvel style. Which it obviously is, and Marvel is fine with that. Hickman doesn't make this list at all, but he should. He's probably the finest writer to grace the Marvel Comics office, his Fantastic Four and FF is FANTASTIC. He turns heads with his writing style. And he is probably one of the finest writers to hit the big two since the great author who shall not be named, because he is the true number one of this list. If you can guess who that is, good for you. Let's talk about number 30.

Number 30

The weirdest romance ever

     Kieron Gillen, who cares?! I do dammit, I care about one book this late in the entry list that he wrote. Mostly because a friend of mine cares so much about Thor. But not just Thor he cares about Loki, the bastard brother. Have you ever wanted Loki to be mischievous? Maybe erratic, and in a story-telling role of his own downfall? Maybe you wished for him to be the prince who shaped an entire lineage based on his "mother". He has fucked up constantly as a villain, but has he ever been wrong to try and be the hero of the story? No because he literally wrote it in the book of fables that he did it "write". He even damned his own daughter and best friend to be damned, figuratively and unfortunately. He knew what was up before his own time was up. But somehow Gillen knew best how the write those interchanges. Thor was angry with his now younger brother. He never doubted him, because Loki had the answer, even if it fucked over the rest of Asgard royalty. It saved their people from stupid robot giant steam engines, because of the industrial revolution. I shit you not.

     Then still, the guy goes somewhat strong with his run on Young Avengers. He takes Loki and moves him onto a team with a small contingent of left-overs of Young Avengers. He forms them, he shapes them, and he twitterfies them. He brings them into the new age, and much like Mignola's Hellboy, he shows them the way of the pancakes. And never does he objectify them(he may pander occasionally to the tumblr core though), never does he persecute them. He shows that Loki loves his brother, which is what Loki always wanted from his own brother, but Loki makes new friends and honors them, in to his teenagedom. Kieron Gillen Crafted this character for a new age, and after he left this character, I couldn't care less.

     He did what he did, and while Young Avengers was never as strong as Journey into mystery, he was able to take what he learned from those titles of young delinquents and godhood in the new era of modern screen-lookers and form a new book of his own. With his creation on Image comics of Wicked + Divine there was nothing left to say with Marvel comics and gods of the old pantheon. Poor Loki: Agent of Asgard. Actually some people like that comic, I didn't I thought it was a bit trite.

Good first volume, check it out

     Kieron Gillen through all of his hang-ups to most people with his regard to popular social media inclusions and swank late 80's styling, was re-invigorated by a market that suited him in this day and age. It got me to look to other outlets by younger conventions on twitter and other sources. He drastically leveled the playing field for integrating old with new. Something most comic authors still strive to do, Dan Slott.

Suggested Listening: Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode