4 Razors

The Return of the Secret Six

/ / Comics
  • Title: The Secret Six #1
  • Comic Vine: link

“Grant’s characters [from Final Crisis] are high-minded lunatics with visions of universal conquest, while mine are more like desperate carny roustabouts with the clap.”
—writer Gale Simone

The Secret Six return with this new series from writer Gail Simone and artist Nicola Scott.  For those unfamiliar, the Six are a group of villains banded together for mutual interest and money making endeavors.  The new team returns Catman, Deadshot, Ragdoll, and Scandal Savage. and introduces the newest member, Bane.

Here we’re introduced to a new behind-the-scenes villain (or better described as a villain in a box), and by the end of the issue the team has a mission which no one thinks is a good idea.

The first issue is a bit too much set-up, but once the story gets moving and we can see these guys interact, the fun really starts.  There are two great moments worth talking about.

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The Lone Ranger #12

/ / Comics
  • Title: The Lone Ranger #12
  • Comic Vine: link

“There’s a reason I make them out of silver.”

Issue #12 picks up with the Lone Ranger back on the trail of Cavendish.  Reunited with Tonto and finally coming to terms with who and what he is, and what he’s willing to do to keep his vow, the Ranger sets out for justice.

There’s a lot going on in this single issue from the Ranger’s opening moments pumping Winthrop for information (in sharp contrast to Cavendish’s attempts later on),  to admitting his past mistakes to Tonto, to Cavendish’s gleeful reintroduction as the series major villain..

However my favorite scenes from this book come from the interaction between the Ranger and his brother’s widow and young son.  The scene with Linda peals away another piece of the Lone Ranger legacy by explain why the masked man uses sliver bullets and what they symbolize to the Texas Ranger turned outlaw vigilante of justice.

Brett Matthews and Sergio Cariello provide a great story with art to match.  And not to be outdone John Cassaday provides another cover that can only be described as damn cool.

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Traitor

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Traitor
  • IMDB: link

“I need to know the truth.”

Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is a bomb maker, a devout Muslim, and a terrorist.  Or is he?  Based on a story from wild & crazy Steve Martin (yeah, that Steve Martin) comes a suprisingly smart tale about the lengths people will go to both commit and stop terrorism.  If you were expecting a good action film you will get it, but oh so much more as well.

Cheadle is excellent in a role that has to carry the film, but not give away too much too soon.  This is one of those films I’d advise you not to watch the trailer which tells a bit too much of the plot.

So what is the plot?  The simple explanation is it’s about a man cut-off and immersed in a complicated world that expects several things from him – not all of which he’s comfortable delivering.

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newuniversal: 1959

/ / Comics
  • Title: newuniversal 1959 (One-shot)
  • Comic Vine: link

“We know the rules of Natural Selection.”

Given his role in Civil War and its aftermath many have called for the head of Tony Stark.  Ask, and ye shall receive.  Here, in this special one-shot from the mind of Kieron Gillen, come the beginnings of Project Spitfire, the event known as “the Fireworks,” and how, in this world, the Marvel Age was killed in its infancy.

This new one-shot looks back into events mentioned in the newuniversal mini-series (read the review) which describes a previous celestial event and the actions taken by Philip Voight and Project Spitfire to stop what they fear might be coming.  It begins with the reveal that Tony Stark was chosen to be his generation’s Cipher, which gave him an increased ability with technology that led to the Iron Man armor and other inventions – and doomed him to a gruesome death at the hands of the secret branch of the US Government.

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Tropic Thunder

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Tropic Thunder
  • IMDB: link

“I don’t read the script.  The script reads me.”

In an attempt to teach their spoiled stars a lesson the director (Steve Coogan) and author (Nick Nolte) of the new war film send the actors into the jungle where they encounter real danger and are forced to fight for their lives.

The platoon is led by action star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) whose career is on a downhill spiral.  His choices for roles outside his chosen genre (with his insane amount of sequels), such as a mentally-impaired farm hand called Simple Jack, have earned him scorn and tanked at the box office.

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