LESSON 3: SPIDER-MAN MIS[TAKEN] IDENTITY.

Hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

Guys, I have a confession to make…

I didn’t like the Miles Morales movie.

I know, I know, it’s sacrilegious, but hear me out.

In 2017, we were greeted to our first Miles Morales experience on the big screen and, it was kind of a big deal as it was, yet again, another new interpretation of Spider-Man, but as I was watching it, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed and, in a way, hurt.

From its questionable canon to its downright disappointing choices in narration, that movie was just downright upsetting at times.

But the worst part, the absolute WORST SIN this movie committed was MILES MORALES WASN’T EVEN IN IT.

I’m talking, of course, about Spider-Man: Homecoming.

What? You thought I meant Spider-Verse?

That movie is a masterpiece, what are you insane?

Now, don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say this movie is bad. It isn’t. In fact, there are genuine moments where I can do nothing but smile at what’s on screen.


Hell, ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched, it’s been known to take a great deal of its stories from the Ultimate line of Marvel Comics: Nick Fury’s design, the first Avengers film had countless callbacks, Hawkeye’s kids (and their fates, unfortunately), hell even Iron Man’s suit in this film is paying homage to the Ultimate suit.

So, taking inspiration is nothing new, but this is borderline plagiarism.

Peter Parker is not Miles Morales. Each have their respective stories and each deserve their own credit, but Miles more so.


Miles made his debut in 2011 and was met with overwhelming negativity at the thought of a Black kid replacing Peter Parker. Yet, through all the hate, rants and speculation Miles proved he was here to stay. Additionally, it felt amazing (ha!) to have a Spider-Man with more diversity.

Which is why it hurts so much to see so much more to see such blatant rip-offs of Miles’ story.


Don’t believe me, just watch!

Ned Leeds / Ganke Lee

This one is easy.

Jacob Batalon is already perfect casting and even plays his role with flying colors. He’s also just two shades darker than Ganke Lee, Miles’ best friend. It’s not even subtle how closely they made Ned into Lee. It’s just sad knowing we’ll never get that awesome bromance in the MCU.

Now, Spider-Verse 2…

Suit from Stark/Shield

When Miles started out, he had a Halloween costume of Spider-Man. It isn’t until later on both he and Peter got their suit from S.H.I.E.L.D. or, in Peter’s case, Tony Stark. It’s a real bummer because it takes away from Peter building his own suit without the bells and whistles of an Iron Man suit. This does look to be rectified in Far From Home, but here?

Not a chance.

Villain is girlfriend’s Dad

No one can say they didn’t audibly gasp when it’s revealed that Vulture is Liz’s dad in Homecoming. It was a genuine shock that didn’t at all seem pandered or too easy to figure out…which is why it’s such a bothersome thing knowing Miles went through that, too, with his then-girlfriend Kate Bishop.
While in the comics, it’s revealed her father is a Hydra agent, it’s no less apparent where this particular nugget gets its inspiration from.

While not many, true, it does show when clear cut parts of Miles’ canon are taken to use for Peter’s. It’s like letting this character go through backlash just to let Peter come in and take his glory. Peter has countless stories over the 70+ years he’s been in comics, both mainstream and Ultimate – take inspiration from his own line of canon.

We know he’s got plenty to spare.

And this is one Clone Conspiracy I hope never happens again.

Well, that’s all for now. So, until the MCU stops or I get bit by a radioactive spider, I’ll see you for the next lesson.


Until then, class dismissed!

LESSON 4: MARVEL'S NEXT VILLAIN

Before I get into it, I gotta say: @SAVAGECOMICS IS THE ORIGINAL ARTIST RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PHENOMENAL PIECE OF JOHN KRASINSKI AS REED RICHARDS AND I IN NO WAY AM TAKING CREDIT FOR IT. SERIOUSLY, THIS GUY’S GALLERY IS UNPARALLED.


Now with that outta the way, hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

Comic-Con was just a few short weeks ago and it’s easy to say Marvel absolutely dominated this year. Kevin Fiege took center stage and they unveiled the projects they have set for what they’re dubbing Phase 4.

While most titles are worth a looksee, what caught my attention was what wasn’t seen.

FANTASTIC 4.

Now back at home with Marvel, there’s a solid chance that we’ll finally get the first family done properly, but not only done properly done better than we could ever imagine.

With the Mad Titan, Thanos, now defeated, the MCU effectively doesn’t have a major villain for the Avengers to defeat…

...or do they?

It’s widely known that MCU films are taking inspiration from the ULTIMATE line of comics and on that Earth, the Fantastic 4 are very, VERY different.


Namely, Reed Richards.

While most may know him as Mr. Fantastic, in the ULTIMATE COMICS, he’s The Maker, by far one of comics’ worst villains, PERIOD.

Not only is his skin elastic-like, making physical damage an impossibility, but with a brain like his, he’s able to make anything anyone can think of, and everything they can’t. He made creations that even put Thor to shame.

Reed Richards of Earth-1610 is NOTHING to trifle with…which is EXACTLY why the MCU needs to make him their next villain and something tells me they already are.

JONATHAN HICKMAN, writer of Marvel Comics fame, has had a plethora of titles underneath his belt one of them most notably being Secret Wars (2015).

If you’re familiar with that story, you’d know he had a great deal to do with the fate of the Fantastic Four, of both Earths. Now, Marvel contacted him to course correct the condition of the X-Men in their comics with two new ongoing titles: “House of X” and “Powers of X”, and he had a few choice words to say when it came to the Marvel films, too.

“I think one of the big mistakes that some people make at Marvel Comics is that we are reactive to what they’re doing in the Marvel films… We should not be taking our creative cues from the direction they’re taking things in the movies. That kind of defeats the point. My argument has been [that] I should always be way out in front of that stuff. All of that stuff is being drawn from source material.” – Jonathan Hickman 2019

While not a confirmation, Hickman does have a point. Marvel Comics showed signs of decrease in sales after modeling the Guardians of the Galaxy after their MCU counterparts.

It’s always better to model the films after the comics.

Which is why Reed would make the PERFECT villain.

Unlike Thanos, Richards doesn’t need Infinity Gems to unleash universal domination. Sheer brainpower alone has made him a far bigger threat. Not only can he create devices that can depower our heroes, but he can even expand his brain for even greater intellect.

Whatever plan, strategy or potential outcome Thanos could come up with, there’s no doubt Reed has already factored it, found out why it wouldn’t work but built a contingency for it just in case.

Reed Richards, or rather the Maker, would be the posterchild for a tragedy of a fallen hero, always wanting to be good, but never good enough and while a lot of Phase 4 is uncertain, I can’t wait to see what becomes of Marvel’s future foundation.

Well, that’s all for now. So, until the Disney stops making Live-Action remakes or I get as smart as Reed Richards, I’ll see you for the next lesson.


Until then, class dismissed!

LESSON 2: WHO IS SIMBA'S SON?

Hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

With Disney still churning out remake after remake, it was only a matter of time till they got to The Lion King. Whatever your views on the newest iteration are, you can’t deny the massive impact it left on films as a whole. So much so, when I went to trivia night at my local bar, the subject was The Lion King.

It was fine, I had fun, the night was going great until . . . I got to one question specifically: At the end of The Lion King, who was Simba’s son?

I put down “Kion”, knowing that’s the correct answer – correct answer now, anyway.

And I got it wrong.

Now, this is a trick question for 4 reasons.

If you’re like most of us, you may immediately respond with, “What? Simba didn’t have a son, he had a daughter, Kiara.” And, to that, I’d have to say, yeah! You’re right!

. . .But the truth is much deeper than that.

During production, the animators at Disney had no real faith in Lion King’s success. In fact, they were referred to the “B Team” while the “A Team” worked on the next film, Pocahontas. (insert irony here) So, when the film came time to wrap and Rafiki held up the lion cub, the animators never even named it.

It was simply called “Fluffy”.

So, he didn’t have a name?

Well, not exactly.

After Lion King’s release and before the release of the direct-to-video sequel, there were books released to continue on the stories of the Lion King called: “The Lion King: Six New Adventures”.

In these stories, Simba does have a son. Kopa.

So, okay, there you have it! He does have a son and his name is Kopa!

But…what about Kiara?

Well, in truth the books weren’t made by Disney themselves. Creator Alex Simmons openly admits that Kopa was all his idea.

“Yes, Kopa was my creation all the way.”

So, when Lion King 2 came around, the creative team didn’t even know about Kopa’s existence. As such, when they made the movie, they started over and made his cub a girl named Kiara, effectively wiping away Kopa from continuity.

So, he doesn’t have a son? Well. . .kind of.

In 2015, Disney launched a spinoff show called The Lion Guard. In it, we see Simba and Kiara, but now she’s a cub and no longer an only child. This is where Simba’s son is introduced as Kion, the newest and current son of Simba.

 So, knowing all this, when I was faced with the question, I put “Kion” and the answer to be revealed was “Kopa”.

The trivia MC got the answer wrong and, because of that, I didn’t get my point.

At first, I was mad, but then I decided to do some digging.

Turns out, when asking Google this same question, the first answer to pop up is Kopa…but with inconsistencies ie: a picture of Simba. And directly beneath it, it’s revealed his son’s name is Kion.

So, I didn’t get my point.

I guess someone should’ve told the MC the real truth; it’s clear he needed to Be Prepared.

Well, that’s all for now. So, until the trivia MC gets his answers right or Disney makes Kopa canon, I’ll see you for the next lesson.

Until then, class dismissed!

LESSON 1 PT. 3: HOW TO READ COMICS

Hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

You’re almost there! First, we covered the basics, then the looks of it all, now some buzzwords you may hear in your trek into modern mythology. May seem kind of corny, but it’s could mean the difference between knowing what “feats” means and sounding like an out-of-touch parent trying to make “fetch” happen.

Fetch is never going to happen.

BUZZWORDS for NEWBIES!

• Alternate Universe (AU)
  • If a story takes place on another Earth/setting/timeline, they would all be considered AU.
    • Ex: Superman Red Son, Kingdom Come, Marvel Zombies
• Canon
  • This is what is referred to continuity. All events that pertain to the overall plot and story are considered canon.
    • MARVEL NOW, ALL NEW ALL DIFFERENT, DC REBIRTH, NEW 52
• Events
• Much like Avengers films, comics’ stories also tend to build up to great big stories known as events
• Ex: War of the Realms, Dark Knights Metal, Blackest Night

War of the Realms (2019)

• Feats
  • A term used when showcasing a characters abilitiesIceman freezing to absolute zero instantly, The Flash outruns death, The Hulk holds up a mountain
• Fridged
  • In Green Lantern #54 (1994), Green Lantern’s girlfriend is murdered and stuffed into his refrigerator. Fridged is a term used for a trope when a female character is raped, murdered or otherwise maimed to in service to a male character’s development.
• Issue (#)
  • What is a chapter to a novel is an issue to a trade. Usually consisting of 20+ pages, issues are released bi-weekly or monthly to continue stories
    • Batman #20, Superman #3, Invincible Iron Man# 4
• Mary Sue / Gary Stu
  • This is a term thrown around for characters who face no adversity in their story and already have strides to prove how great they are; for every problem, they already have the answer – one who can do no wrong.
    • Ex: Rey, Riri Williams, Batman
• One-Shot
  • A story whose plot starts and stops with this its own pages: no backstory, no build up and no continuations
    • Superior, Watchmen, Supercrooks
• Pre/Post Crisis
  • When referring to DC’s biggest, most influential reboots, you would use this to see when a specific moment took place.
• Publisher
  • The company that that particular stories is being released under
    • DC Comics, Marvel Comics, YouNeek Studios, Etan Comics
• Reboot
  • When canon starts anew with a newer/different direction
    • New 52, DC Rebirth, Crisis on Infinite Earths

(Flashpoint 2011)

• Retroactive Continuity
  • Retroactive Continuity (Retcon) is a term used to change what was already considered canon, post launch
    • Captain America as a Hydra Agent, Hal Jordan didn’t turn evil, Bucky didn’t die, Darth Vader knew about Luke Skywalker
• Run
  • A term used when one is describing a particular creator on a specific project
    • Geoff Johns’ run on Teen Titans, Brett Booth’s run on Titans, Tom King’s run on Vision
• Tie-In
  • A specific issue that runs parallel to an comic event
    • War of the Realms tie-in, Civil War II tie-in, Flashpoint tie-in

[ Sam Wilson: Captain America #11 -- Civil War 2 Tie-In (2015) ]

• Trade / Trade Paperback (TPB)
  • Also known as volumes, trade paperbacks are a collection of 5-7 issues of an overall story.

And now you’re ready!

You learned how to find comics, the anatomy of a trade and now you mastered several key terms. With all these under your (utility) belt, the only question left is. . .
Where will YOU start?

Well, that’s all for now. So, until I become a millionaire or CBR answers my emails, I will see you for the next lesson.

Until then, class dismissed!

LESSON 1 PT. 2: HOW TO READ COMICS.

Hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

You found what you were looking for and you’re interested to see where the story goes, but you happen to hear words like “fridged” and “retcon”. What’s more is you turn the book over and you see names like Geoff Johns and Mark Millar. What do those mean and who are they? Well, you since you found your comic, it’s only right to see what happens when you turn the page.

LOOKS!

If you’re in a bookstore of sorts, you may see things in common like color schemes. Typically, Marvel Comics uses striking colors like red and white while DC uses cooler whites and blues. If it’s on a shelf with his spine out, you’re given the following pieces:

1.    The Title

a.    All volumes will come with a subtitle for those collected issues

2.    The team behind it (writer, penciller, colorist, etc…)

3.    The Publisher

4.    The volume number (mostly)

a.    The reason there wouldn’t be is if it’s a one-shot title.

5.    The collected issues.

Most of these will be mirrored on the cover, front or back, once you pick it out and are equally important for different reasons.

TITLE

The title should be the dead giveaway you need. Wanna read Superman? Find “Superman”. Wanna read Avengers? Find “Avengers”. Sounds cut and dry, right? Well, not exactly.

While it is true most titles are self-explanatory, there also may be variations of the topic such as: “Thor”, “Thor: God of Thunder” and “Mighty Thor”. It’s important you pick up the right title as not every title is the same story. Example “Unworthy Thor” is a title that delves into Thor Odinson’s introspective journey after losing his hammer, Mjolnir where as “Mighty Thor” is the adventures of Jane Foster taking up the hammer and becoming the next Thor.

Each title has its respective story; so you’ll want to stick with one particular title to see a story arc through to the end before picking up another.

TEAM

Much like how film trailers promote an upcoming movie by having a director’s name and accolades in their careers, comics run off the same principle.

If you find a story you’re enjoying the comic you’re reading, it helps to know who wrote it. If you’re blown away be the art in the comic, you should memorize the name of the artist so that you can follow them as not all team members stay on a certain title for long. Following them to their next project would also help you to explore other comics and stores, as well.

PUBLISHER

It’s no secret that certain publishers publish certain titles. If you’re looking for a certain kind of story, doing a big of research can go a long way when picking out a title from a certain publisher.

Like Marvel movies? Go with Marvel. Prefer DC? Search for DC. A fan of the Walking Dead? Image Comics is the one for you.

VOLUME NUMBER

While picking out a certain title is the most important thing, the volume number goes hand in hand.

Picking out a particular volume would effectively put you in one particular spot in the entire story. If you pick up volume 2, for example, it’s assumed you’re already 5-7 issues into the overall story and just want to see how the story continues. Think of it like picking a scene from a Blu Ray film or a certain track on an album. If you pick up “Black Widow Vol. 2”, you’re on the “2^nd scene/song”.

ISSUES

While it isn’t required to go volume by volume, as volumes tend to put footnotes of previous events in their thought boxes, there is nothing like continuing the journey of these heroes as switching titles may cause just little confusion. Trust me, the only issue you’ll want is the one with the following number on it.

That spot there is the easiest way to tell just exactly where you are in the overall story.

So, you know what you want when you see it – great! Hopefully, I was able to shed some light on your lessons and make things a bit easier for you…but what the heck does “annual” and “New 52” mean? Next time, we'll finish our guide into comics with basic terms to help make your journey even smoother.

That’s all for now and I will see you for the next lesson.

Until then, class dismissed!